South American river turtle, giant South American turtle, giant Amazon River turtle, Arrau sideneck turtle, Amazon River turtle, Arrau
The Arrau turtle (Podocnemis expansa) is the largest of the side-neck turtles and the largest freshwater turtle in Latin America. The species primarily feeds on plant material and typically nests in large groups on beaches. Due to hunting of adults, collecting of their eggs, pollution, habitat loss, and dams, the Arrau turtle is seriously threatened.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withArrau turtles are brown, gray, or olive-green, but the exact color varies depending on the algae growing on the carapace. Males can be recognized by their longer tail and straighter carapace than the females.
Arrau turtles are found in the Amazon, Orinoco, and Essequibo basins in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Guyana. On occasion, typically after floods, individuals turn up in Trinidad. These turtles live in deep rivers, ponds, freshwater lagoons, and flooded forests in white-, black- and clear water.
Arrau turtles are diurnal semi-aquatic turtles. Most of the time they prefer to be on their own but during and just before the nesting season they frequently bask in groups. When on land, they are usually very shy and hide in the water at the slightest hint of danger. Vocal communication plays an important role in the social life of Arrau turtles. In addition to the "connect to newly hatched young" sound, there are four primary sounds used during the nesting season: one used during migration, one before basking, one when nesting at night and finally one when in the water after nesting.
Arrau turtles are herbivores (granivores, frugivores, folivores) and feed almost entirely on plant material such as fruits, seeds, leaves, legumes, and algae. However, they may also take freshwater sponges, eggs, and carcasses of dead animals (such as dead fish). Juveniles feed on fish and plant material.
Arrau turtles breed in winter. When nearing the breeding season, they migrate to certain sites where the eggs are laid. In some locations, nesting occurs in large groups on beaches, which reduces the risk posed by predators. Some beaches may have as many as 500 nesting females. The female lays an average of 75-123 eggs (average varies depending on region), which are placed during the night in a 60-80 cm (2-2.6 ft) deep nest that is dug on the beach. The eggs are laid during the low water season and hatch as the water starts to rise. The eggs hatch after about 50 days and the sex of the young depends on the nest temperature (females at higher temperatures, males at lower). When hatching, the young are around 5 cm (2 in) long and dart directly for the water. When hatching, the females emit sounds that attract the young; they stay together for a period in the flooded forests.
Arrau turtles and their eggs are vulnerable to humans as they are collected for food and traditional medicine. Other serious threats include pollution, habitat loss, and dams, which can cause flooding of nest sites.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Arrau turtle total population size. Presently, the conservation status of this species on the IUCN Red List has not been specified.
