Matamata tortoise is an amazing representative of the snake-necked family, characterized by a very unusual appearance. At first glance at a reptile, it can be confused with an ordinary pile of garbage, and quite large. This is not surprising: the average size of the tortoise shell can reach 45 cm, and the weight of the reptile is impressive - about 15 kg.
Environmental conditions
The amazing animal was first mentioned in 1783 by the German naturalist Johann Schneider. You can meet such a reptile resembling an externally mossed tree trunk in the South American states: Guiana, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, as well as the northern and central lands of Brazil.
A fringed tortoise (or matamata) does not like violent currents, lives in slow-flowing reservoirs with stagnant water and a muddy bottom (swamps, silted ponds, old river channels). The reptile prefers shallow water. Love for silt, a convenient shelter in case of danger, is characteristic of almost all freshwater turtles and is explained by the softness of the bottom during hibernation, as well as invisibility in the hunting process. Matamata mainly settles in reservoirs called black water due to the presence of decomposition products of plant and animal remains in them.
Matamata Turtle: Appearance
The velvet turtle is called the snake-neck because of the very long and flexible neck, which, when the head is pulled into the shell, seems to be wrapped and touches the front paw. Leathery velvety flaps hanging from the neck and head give the animal an original look and disguise among the aquatic flora, while a triangular, slightly flattened muzzle is decorated at the end with a long proboscis, almost constantly sticking out of the silt. The eyes are somewhat bulged, sharp eyesight, the animal sees perfectly in the dark. The size of the mouth, as they say, from ear to ear.
An amazing feature of the velvet turtle is the dorsal part of the shell, otherwise called carapace. Its upper shield is divided into 3 parts by serrated keels formed by sticking out sharp cones. The back part has a dark brown color, which helps the animal easily disguise itself as a snag. The abdominal part is greenish yellow and brown.
From other species of reptiles, the animal is distinguished by a strong clawed case, which protects not only the trunk, but also the tail.
What does matamata eat?
Matamata tortoise is not a way to chew and bite food due to poorly developed jaws, so it captures the prey entirely. Moreover, the victim draws together with water, then the liquid gradually releases back. There is no limit to the voracity of the reptile: the animal fills the fish with not only the stomach, but also the neck, inside which the food is waiting in the wings for digestion.
The main diet of the turtle is fish, invertebrate small fry, larvae and tadpoles of amphibians, and only in live form. The animal does not recognize dead prey if it accidentally fell into the throat, immediately spits it out. Apparently, in the stomach of the reptile there are certain receptors that distinguish the viability of prey.
Characteristics of a Reptile
The matamata turtle, the description of which is very surprising, prefers to lead a nocturnal lifestyle, hiding in silt in the daytime. He spends the bulk of his life in water; he can go to land only for the purpose of reproduction. The reptile is quite lazy: even when it collects air, it makes a minimal number of movements, just sticking the tip of the proboscis to the surface of the water.
Swims poorly, prefers to crawl along the bottom. Sometimes long fixed hours in the process of hunting and natural laziness are replaced by sharp jumps from the water in a desire to catch small birds flying by. This happens quite rarely, and is, rather, an exception to the rules of a leisurely, measured life of a velvet turtle.
Propagation Features
This type of reptile is a mystery to science. It is still unknown how much this turtle needs light, because it avoids the main part of its life. The specificity of its reproduction also remains unexplored. It is known that a velvet turtle is always ready for breeding. The male differs from the female in a concave plastron (abdominal part of the shell) and a longer tail. Mating games are performed at night, a married couple behaves calmly, without manifesting aggression in relation to each other. After mating, the female lays eggs in an amount of 10 to 30 pieces. The development of offspring and its exit outside depends on the temperature of the environment. Normally, the appearance of cubs occurs 2-5 months after fertilization. When the temperature is below 25 about With the period of stay in the egg increases to 8-10 months. The size of the hatched turtles is about 4 cm.
Aquarium Matamata Content
The matamata turtle, the photo of which is presented in the article, is a frequent representative in the collections of terrarium workers. A reptile that quickly adapts to life in an artificially created environment is recommended to be kept in spacious shallow (not more than 20 cm) aquariums at an optimum water temperature of + 28-30 o C.
For an animal that prefers to hide in silt during the daytime, it is advisable to provide a cozy shelter from sunlight. The bottom of the aquarium needs to be covered with clean sand. To simulate the coast, you can use underwater snags, swamp greens or cork material.
Each week, the pH balance of the aquatic environment should be monitored; if the permissible norm (5.0-5.5 units) is exceeded, water should be acidified. This can be done with the help of special preparations sold in pet stores, or peat, the boiled crumbs of which are recommended to be added to the aquarium filter. It is the requirements for the aquatic environment that make up the most difficult part of caring for a velvet turtle - a rather unpretentious and peaceful creature.
Reproduction of a velvet turtle in captivity is a rare occurrence. If you want to get cubs from such an amazing freshwater, you need to prepare the appropriate natural substrate where the eggs will be laid: this is water with an acidic environment, vermiculite or peat. With a neutral acid-base balance of water, embryos can face death at the final stage of development.