The Amazing Animals
Reptiles: Turtles«Back
African Spur Thigh Tortoise
(Geochelone sulcata)
Africa
– "BIG Bubba" our African Spur Thigh tortoise, weighs over 40 pounds, is native to South Sahara deserts, covering Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Sudan and Ethiopia. This animal has distinctive spurs on the rear legs, which give it its name. This is the largest mainland tortoise in the world (and second only to the giant tortoises of the Galapagos and Aldabra Islands). Males are slightly larger than females. The tortoise shell can reach 36 inches in length, and weight exceeds 220 lbs. The carapace consists of several scutes, each featuring growth rings. Thick skin keeps moisture inside the body and thus prevents dehydration. These
tortoises are known as eating machines and will spend hours grazing on grasses and hay, succulents, plants and leaf matter. A Sulcata tortoise can live up to 70 years!
Matamata Turtle
(Chelus fimbriatus)
South America
– Mata Mata turtles originated from the northern part of South America, and can be found in the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers. They are found in the muddy, stagnant, shallow pools and streams. This environment helps them ambush their prey. Looking like a pile of rocks or debris, a hungry turtle rests quietly on the bottom, occasionally stretching its long neck up until its snorkel-like nose can be used to take a breath. It will remain almost motionless underwater until a fish comes too close to the Matamata's mouth. At this point, the turtle thrusts out its head and opens its large mouth as wide as possible. This acts like a vacuum cleaner; the prey and a large amount of water are rapidly sucked into the turtle's mouth and throat, which can be stretched out quite a bit. The Matamata snaps its mouth shut, the water is slowly expelled, and the fish is swallowed whole.
