dead -leaf turtle The appearance of the tortoise is very characteristic, like a yellow leaf. Many people like this peculiar shape, and many people buy it on the market, and the price of the dead leaf turtle is not expensive, so it is deeply loved by everyone.

The dead leaf turtle, which grows in the Matamata swamp, also known as Matamata turtle and Mata turtle, is a large aquatic turtle and is the oldest reptile in existence. It is a sedentary turtle with a flat, triangular head, a tubular snout and an horned part, three tentacles and four filamentous tentacles on the chin, shaped like a dead leaf, with a dry yellow color, Visible in the lake. Because its shell resembles dead leaves, it is called dead leaf turtle.

Chinese name: Dead Leaf Turtle

Latin name: Chelus fimbriata

English name: Matamata Turtle

Alternative name: Matama Turtle, Leaf Turtle, Marta Snakenecked turtle, Snake-necked turtle

Binary name: Chelus fimbriatus

Kingdom: Animalia

Department:   Chordate

Order: Turtles

Family: Turtles

Genus: Turtles

Species: Turtles

Distribution area: Amazon, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and other regions.

Living environment: small rivers, U-shaped lakes and ponds with slow flow.

Protection level: non-state protected animals.

Adult carapace and Buddha of dead leaf turtleSnapping turtles are similar, but the features of the head are more obvious, and they are perfectly integrated with the body, forming a self-protective color and strong camouflage ability, which not only It is good for avoiding predators and also for catching Food.

The maximum nail length of the dead leaf turtle 40cm, the carapace is rectangular, and the carapace is rough and knobby. The maximum straight length of this tortoise shell can grow to18 inches. Each shield is conical and has a distinct concentricity Growing rings. The head and neck are large and flat and covered with numerous small sarcomas, nodules, and folds. Very wide mouth, nose very long. The eyes are small and very close to the nose.

infancy The color of the carapace and neck is tawny to reddish-brown, and the plastron is usually bright orange-red. As the turtle grows, the orange-red on the plastron fades to yellow or brown. The neck is reddish-brown, but eventually becomes tan or tawny. The throat has two dark bands and the plastron is dark. The maximum straight length of the carapace can be up to 18 inches. Each scutellum is conical with distinct concentric growth rings.

The   dead leaf turtle is carnivorous, mainly aquatic invertebrates and worms, Snails, shrimp and fish for food.

The dead leaf turtle has the habit of preying at night. Foods include fish, amphibians, freshwater shellfish, or fallen birds and small mammals. The predation method of the dead leaf turtle is unique among turtles. They remain stationary in the water, allowing them to blend into their surroundings. Until the fish approaches, suddenly extending its head close to the prey, while opening its mouth and widening its throat. This set of actions creates a pumping action that draws the prey into their enlarged throats, the water is expelled, and the prey is swallowed. The dead leaf turtle eats this way because it cannot chew.

The dead leaf turtle generally grows in lakes and crawls very slowly. Although it is a complete aquatic animal, its water quality is not very good, so it often waits for food at the bottom of the water. It is highly aquatic and rarely leaves the water.

The dead leaf tortoise does not bask in the sun and has no terrestrial activities. Few data suggest that they can tolerate prolonged exposure to saltwater or a mixture of saltwater and freshwater (Kearney, 1972; Pritchard and Trebbau, 1984), breathing by extending their necks with the tip of their nose just above the water surface. Dead-leaf turtles prefer murky still or slow-moving river water Snapping turtles are similar.

Mata tortoises use sound when hunting, and the ear drums on both sides of its head can feel vibrations in the water to determine the exact location of the prey in the water.

The strange appearance of the dead leaf turtle has a certain influence on the diet, many people are surprised How does a dead leaf turtle eat? In fact, many people have conducted a series of studies on this issue and have reached the following conclusions.

The food of the dead leaf turtle may be one of the most controversial issues in turtle rearing. Gold fish is at the center of the controversy. I've been told that when live goldfish are sucked, their dorsal fins stand up and eventually the spines pierce the throat, causing infection and ultimately the turtle's death. Many goldfish are bred in outdoor pools with copper sulfate added to stop algae growth. This means that the copper sulfate in the turtle will increase with the copper sulfate in the fish, to the level of poisoning that can kill the turtle. I've also been told that goldfish, and many other fish, contain thiaminease, a VB1 enzyme, that can cause VB1 deficiency. Also, many pet market fish carry a plethora of tiny pathogens that can cause Causes infection and death of turtles. But I have spoken to a breeder who has fed only frozen goldfish for five years without any problems.

Someone at the zoo made an interesting record of the predation habits of the dead-leaf tortoise. He saw that one of the three turtles in the crescent-shaped pool was "herding and hunting". The turtle will crawl along the side of the pool at an angle to bring the fish together, causing the fish to swim into a dead end. Some fish will escape, while others will be eaten between the turtle and the end of the pool. The same method was later used by other dead-leaf tortoises kept with the "hunters". A researcher conducted an experiment in the laboratory to test this observed phenomenon, but unfortunately he chose a circular pool. The researcher eventually came to the conclusion that dead leaf turtles don't drive off their prey. I think the experiment is moot at this point. Prey cannot be driven to corners or ends in round barrels. The same research on predation indicated that when there were few fish available or when other turtles were present, the dead-leaf turtles would increase their activity in search of food.