Mata Mata Turtle
Chelus fimbriata
Adult mata mata turtles inhabit sluggish rivers, swamps, and flooded forests across parts of the Amazon and Orinoco basins. They lie nearly motionless on the bottom, resembling a waterlogged leaf or piece of bark until prey comes close. Small fish and aquatic invertebrates are taken with a rapid, powerful suction strike rather than a chase. Their extraordinary leaf-like shell, broad head, and fleshy neck fringes make them among the most specialized camouflage hunters of any freshwater turtle.
- Type
- Stealth
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- ?
- Mata Mata Turtle