image credit: Ann McLeod Images
image credit: True_Bavarian
image credit: stuart oxford
image credit: Dawn on the Amazon
image credit: umpbumpStatus: No conservation concerns
Let me introduce you to an incredibly bizarre looking creature: the Matamata Turtle (Chelus fimbriata). It grows to around 18 inches in length with a very rough, horny shell that features laminas (knobby plates) that have well-marked growth rings on them. Its gorgeous head has many warts, growths, and ridges all over it. The flaps of skin on the side of its face are very sensitive to the currents generated by fish swimming nearby, which is why its forward facing eyes aren’t the primary means of catching its prey.
It’s name, translated from Spanish, means “to kill, to kill.” Cheery huh?
The creature hides at the bottom of the river, camouflaged by a thin sheet of algae that grows over its shell. The capacity of its mouth is almost astonishing so passing fish beware!
