Yellow-spotted Amazon River Turtle

Appearance

This species can be recognized by its black or brown oval carapace with distinctive low keels on the second and third scutes. Yellow spots on the side of its head give this species its common name. These spots are most prominent in juveniles and fade with age. Females can be up to twice the size of males.

"Podocnemis unifilis" is a type of side-necked turtles, so called because they do not pull their heads directly into their shells, but rather bend their necks sideways to tuck their heads under the rim of their shells. Side-neck turtles are classified as members of the suborder Pleurodira.

Distribution

These turtles are found in tributaries and large lakes of South America's Amazon Basin. During flood season, they may venture into flooded forests or floodplain lakes. They feed on fruits, weeds, fish, and small invertebrates.

Reproduction

The females lay two clutches of eggs each year, each with four to 35 eggs in it. They make their nests in sandy areas on the banks of rivers, where the eggs will hatch 66 to 159 days after they are laid. The eggs are laid at the peak of dry season so the nest will not be washed away with the floods of the rainy season.

Their average life span is 60 to 70 years.

Cultural

"Podocnemis unifilis" was one of the foreign species exploited by the American pet turtle trade in the 1960s. Importation of this species is now strictly regulated by Federal law, but a captive, self-sustaining population exists in the United States—some groups in zoos, others in the hands of private collectors. Individuals of this species have lived more than 30 years in captivity.