Australo-American Side-Necked Turtles: Chelidae - Physical Characteristics, Diet, Behavior And Reproduction, Conservation Status, Matamata (chelus Fimbriatus): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, AUSTRALO-AMERICAN SIDE-NECKED TURTLES AND PEOPLE
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These turtles range across New Guinea, Australia, Indonesia, and South America.
The Australo-American side-necked turtle typically lives in freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams that are always filled with water, but they spend part of their time in wetlands or flooded forests that are wet for just a short period of time each year. Only one species, the New Guinea snake-necked turtle, can be found in estuaries (EHS-chew-air-eez), or that part of a river where it meets the sea, and other areas of partially salty water.
Some people hunt and kill these turtles for their meat, which they use as food. Although certain species are kept as pets, the pet trade does not harm their survival.
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Australo-American side-necked turtles are a varied group of medium-sized to rather large turtles with necks that fold sideways under their shells, rather than retracting, or pulling backward, into the shell. In some cases, the neck can be as long as the upper shell, or carapace (KARE-a-pays) or even longer. A few side-necked turtles, however, have very short necks. Depending on the species, the up…
Most members of this family eat meat or both meat and plants. The adult northern Australian snapping turtle may live only on vegetation, including algae (AL-jee), which are tiny plantlike growths that live in water, and the leaves and fruits of waterside trees they find during the dry season. The meat eaters may feed on worms, insects, fishes, and frogs. Some also eat mollusks, such as clams; crus…
Many Australo-American side-necked turtles feed mainly at night and spend their days basking, or warming themselves, in the sun. When a dry spell strikes, some species bury themselves in the mud and become inactive until the rains come. Stein-dachner's turtle is one example. This turtle can survive droughts (DROWTS), or dry spells, as long as two years by living off water that it stores ins…
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists three species as Critically Endangered, or facing an extremely high risk of extinction, or death, in the wild, and four as Endangered, or facing a very high risk of extinction. Six are Vulnerable, meaning that they face a high risk of extinction, and eight are Near Threatened, meaning that they face the risk of becoming extinct in the near future. One of t…
Physical characteristics: The matamata is one of the larger side-necked turtles as well as one of the biggest freshwater turtles; its dark upper shell can reach up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) in length, and it can grow to a weight of 27 pounds (12 kilograms). It has a flat, lumpy, triangular head, with a rough fringe, or edging. The head sticks out from a flat, knobby shell. Two tiny eyes dot th…
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