Least ConcernOcelot
Leopardus pardalis
Reptiles · Testudines · Chelidae
Chelus fimbriata
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The mata mata is one of the strangest turtles in the world: a rough shell bristling with ridges, a triangular, flattened head covered in flaps of skin, and a broad, flexible neck that makes it look like submerged leaf litter. It does not chase its prey: it stays motionless on the bottom and swallows them by suction, opening its mouth all at once and creating a vacuum that drags the fish in.
Weight
10 kg – 17 kg
Size
40 cm – 53 cm
Life expectancy
40 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sources consulted: Wikipedia (es): Chelus fimbriata
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 27.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Mata Mata — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Based on what we already know about mata mata.
