Big-Headed Amazon River Turtle

About the Big-Headed Amazon River Turtle

The big-headed pantanal swamp turtle or pantanal swamp turtle (Acanthochelys macrocephala) is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae found in Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay. This is the largest of the South American Acanthochelys species, growing to 23.5 cm (9.3 in) in carapace length. It has a broad, oval to moderately elongated, deep carapace with a shallow dorsal groove extending along the second to fourth vertebrals. The first and fifth vertebral scutes are very broad, the second through fourth may be slightly longer than broad, and the fifth is laterally expanded. Vertebral and pleural scutes may be rugose with growth annuli. Marginals 1, 2, and 8-10 are slightly expanded but not flared, and 3-7 are often slightly upturned. The carapace is highest just behind the center and broadest at the level of the anterior part of the eighth marginals; its posterior rim may be weakly serrated. The carapace is dark to blackish brown, but may be light brown in some. Juveniles often have lighter brown radiations on their carapacial scutes. The broad plastron and bridge are yellow with some dark pigment extending along the seams (sometimes covering most of a scute... Wikipedia →