matamata
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The matamata is a South American turtle. Its body is camouflaged to ambush prey – the head is flattened like a leaf, the neck thick with flaps of skin, and the shell heavily sculpted.
| South American freshwater turtle or terrapin with a shell up to 40 cm/15 in long. The head is flattened, with a ‘snorkel’ nose, and the neck has many projections of skin. The movement of these in the water may attract prey, which the matamata catches by opening its mouth suddenly to produce an inrush of water. (Species Chelys fimbriata.) |
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