MATA MATA TURTLES

 

MATA MATA TURTLES

Sex:

Latin name: Chelus fimbriata

Native Home:  The MATA MATA TURTLE is a freshwater turtle found in South America, primarily in the Amazon and Orinoco basins.

Size:  MATA MATA TURTLES can get up to 18" in length, and 33 lbs in weight.

Diet:  MATA MATA TURTLES feed primarily, upon live fish. In addition, they will eat amphibians, invertebrates (such as insects and crustaceans), small mammals, and birds.

Reproduction: The MATA MATA TURTLE will lay from one to two dozen eggs. She does not guard the nest. Unlike most reptiles (whose eggs are soft and leathery) the mata mata’s eggs have brittle shells. They are almost round and are about 3.5 cm in diameter. The incubation time is approximately 200 days.

Lifespan:  Little is known about the MATA MATA TURTLES lifespan in the wild. In captivity, specimens have been known to live over 30 years