MATAMATA

SCIENTIFIC NAME :-        Chelus fimbriatus

OCCURRENCE :-               N.South America

HABITAT :-                      Rivers

SIZE :-                             Length 41 cm

FAMILY :-                        Chelidae

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS :-

1. A side neck , sedentary , carnivorous turtle with a flat , triangular head , tiny eyes and thin tube like snout.
2. Its carapace is very rough and ridged and flashy flaps hanging at the tides of the head wave in the water.
3. Its neck is thin and muscular and the mouth is wide.
4. The limbs are small and weak and it has an irregular outline of the body.
5. It feeds mainly on fishes. When the prey swims by it opens its huge mouth letting water and fish . It then closes its mouth leaving a small slit for the water to flow out.
6. The female lays 12-28 eggs.