A new species of mata mata turtle recently discovered has been described by scientists “as one of the most bizarre turtles of the world” and “one of the most charismatic.”
This strange-looking freshwater turtle is found in the massive Orinoco river basin in Venezuela and eastern Colombia (hence its scientific name, Chelus orinocensis).
Mata Mata turtles are part of the side-necked turtle family that are known everywhere for their beady, small eyes, large mouth, flat, three-sided head, and nose that resembles a snorkel. There was thought to be only one member of its Chelus genus, but new published findings concluded there’s another.
The research, published in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, shows a split around 13 million years ago, right around the time the Amazon-Orinoco Basin started to separate into two rivers. The split caused genetic divergence in a few aquatic species in the region (that we know of), so it makes sense that the mata mata turtle could have been affected as well.
On their natural habitat, these freshwater turtles live on the bottom of shallow areas with slow moving water such as rivers, blackwater streams, marshes, stagnant pools, and swamps. While adults almost can’t swim, hatchlings and juvenile turtles can do so albeit quite awkwardly.
They are considered as one of the largest turtle species. They have an average size of 16-20 inches long with a weight of about 38 pounds or about the weight of your toddler child. The females tend to be larger than males.
Mata matas have very fine eyesight with eyes that reflect light, similar to other nocturnal reptiles. In addition, the skin flaps on the neck are also extremely sensitive and help them detect nearby movement.
The strange-looking armored shells that camouflage perfectly as rocks. For them to get prey in the water, they stay motionless until their prey comes near them and opening their mouths as wide as possible so that there will be a low-pressure that sucks their food mouth known as suction feeding. They do not chew their food because if how their mouth is designed. In the waters, they should be kept moving for them to move; that is why when they need to rest, they’ll just go out where they can rest their snout.
Males initiate mating by extending their limbs and closely moving their heads towards the females while opening and closing their mouths. The nesting season happens in the months of October through December, where the females lay about 12 to 30 eggs in a sandy place or decaying vegetation near the swamps or marshes. These eggs, which are spherical and brittle have a long incubation period of about 200 days. Matamata is not just like other reptiles that would care for their young. As soon as the eggs hatched, the juvenile is the ones who would fend for themselves.
Due to their unique appearance, they make interesting display animals and are especially popular in Europe and the United States. Climate change and habitat ʟᴏss could be potential ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛs to this species in the future.