Turtle of matamata: appearance and interesting facts

Turtle matamata - an amazing representative of the family of snake-eared, characterized by a very unusual appearance. At first glance at the reptile it can be confused with an ordinary heap of rubbish, and quite large. This is not surprising: the average size of a tortoise shell can reach 45 cm, and the weight of a reptile is impressive - about 15 kg.

Living conditions in nature

For the first time an amazing animal was mentioned in 1783 by the German naturalist Johann Schneider. To meet such a reptile, reminiscent of the moss-covered trunk of a tree, in a natural environment it is possible in the South American states: Guiana, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and the northern and central lands of Brazil. Fimbriated turtle (or matamata) does not like stormy currents, it lives in slow-flowing reservoirs with stagnant water and muddy bottom (swamps, silted ponds, old river beds). The water depth of the reptile prefers shallow water. The love for mud, 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, and also by the inconspicuousness in the process of hunting. Matamata basically settles in water bodies called black water due to the presence in them of decomposition products of plant and animal remains.

Turtle of matamata: appearance

A velvet tortoise is called a snakehead because of a very long and flexible neck, which, as the head is drawn into the shell, wraps itself and touches the front paw. Hanging from the neck and head leathery velvety flaps give the animal an original look and mask among the aquatic flora, and a triangular, slightly flattened face is decorated at the end with a long proboscis almost always sticking out of the silt. The eyes are somewhat bulging, the sight sharp, the animal perfectly sees in the dark. The size of the mouth, as they say, from ear to ear.

An amazing feature of a velvet tortoise is the dorsal part of the shell, called a carapace otherwise. Its upper shield is divided into 3 parts by jagged keels formed by protruding sharp cones. The dorsal part has a dark brown color, which helps the animal to easily masquerade as a snag. Abdominal part of greenish-yellow and brown tones.

From other species of reptiles the animal has a strong clawed case that protects not only the trunk, but also the tail part.

What does the matamata eat?

Turtle matamata is not a way to chew and snack food because of poorly developed jaws, so caught prey captures entirely. And the victim draws in together with the water, then the liquid gradually releases back. There is no limit to the gluttony of a reptile: the animal fills with fish not only the stomach, but also the neck, inside which food waits for its hour for digestion.

The main ration of the turtle is fish, invertebrate fry, larvae and tadpoles amphibians, and only in a living form. Dead animals do not recognize the animal, if such accidentally fell into the throat, then it spits out. Apparently, in the stomach of the reptile there are certain receptors that distinguish the viability of prey.

Characteristic features of the reptile

Turtle matamata, the description of which is a huge surprise, prefers to lead a nocturnal life, hiding in the mud in the daytime. The main part of his life is spent in the water, on land can only go out for the purpose of reproduction. The reptile is rather lazy: even with the intake of air, it makes the minimum amount of movements, just putting the end of the proboscis on the surface of the water. Floats badly, prefers to crawl on the bottom. Sometimes a long fixed clock in the process of hunting and natural laziness are replaced by sharp jumps from the water in a desire to grab the small birds flying past. It happens quite rarely, and is, rather, an exception to the rules of the leisurely, measured life of a velvet tortoise.

Features of reproduction

This kind of reptiles is a mystery to science. It is still unknown how far this tortoise needs light, because it avoids the main piece of its life. Also, the specificity of its reproduction remains unexplored. It is known that the velvet tortoise is always ready for breeding. The male from the female is distinguished by a concave plastron (abdominal part of the shell) and a longer tail. Matrimonial games are performed at night, the married couple behaves calmly, without manifestation of aggression towards each other. After mating, the female produces eggs in the amount of 10 to 30 pieces. The development of offspring and its outward appearance depends on the temperature of the environment. Normally the appearance of cubs occurs 2-5 months after fertilization. At a temperature below 25 ^o C, the period of stay in the egg increases to 8-10 months. The size of the hatched turtles is about 4 cm.

Aquatic content of matamates

Turtle matamata, photo of which is presented in the article - a frequent representative in the collections of terrariumists. Reptiles that adapt fairly quickly to life in an artificially created environment are recommended to be kept in spacious shallow (not more than 20 cm) aquariums at an optimum water temperature of + 28-30 ° C. An animal, preferring to hide in the mud during the day, it is desirable to provide a cozy shelter from the sun's rays. The bottom of the aquarium is required to be covered with clean sand. To simulate the shore, you can use underwater snags, marsh greenery or cork.

Each week, the pH balance of the aquatic environment should be monitored, if the permissible norm is exceeded (5.0-5.5 units), water should be acidified. This can be done with the help of special drugs sold in pet stores, or peat, the boiled crumb of which is recommended to be added to the aquarium filter. It is the requirements to the water environment that make up the most difficult part of caring for a velvet tortoise - a fairly unpretentious and peace-loving creature.

Reproduction of a velvet turtle in captivity is a rare phenomenon. If you want to get young from such an amazing freshwater, you need to prepare the appropriate natural substrate, where the eggs will be laid: water with acidic medium, vermiculite or peat. With a neutral acid-base balance of water, embryos at the final stage of development may threaten death.