Arrau turtle

Arrau River Turtle
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Podocnemididae
Genus: Podocnemis
Species: P. expansa
Binomial name
Podocnemis expansa
(Schweigger, 1812)
Synonyms
  • Emys expansa Schweigger, 1812
  • Emys amazonica Spix, 1824
  • Podocnemis expansa Wagler, 1830
  • Emys arrau Schinz, 1833

The Arrau River Turtle[1] (Podocnemis expansa), also known as the Charapa Turtle, Arrau Turtle, Tartaruga-da-amazônia, or Araú, is the largest of the side-neck turtles (Pleurodira). It is found in the Amazon River and its tributaries (Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and so on). Adults often reach 1 m in length. Females have wide flattened shells and are larger and more numerous than the males. Adult Arraus feed entirely on plant food. The nesting habits of this species are similar to those of their sea turtle kindred. Like sea turtles they gather in huge numbers in order to travel to suitable nesting areas. The females lay their eggs on sandbanks which are exposed only in the dry season, and there are relatively few such sites. The females come out on the sandbanks at night to lay their eggs which can number anywhere from 90 to 100 soft-shelled eggs. They then return to their feeding grounds. The young when hatched are around 2 in long dart directly for the water, but they emerge to the attentions of many predators and even without man's activities, only about five percent ever reach the adult feeding grounds. Because of this it is an endangered species and is protected in most areas.[2]

References

  1. ^ Podocnemis expansa, Reptile Database
  2. ^ The Simon and Schuster Encyclopedia of Animals

External links