Mata Mata

About the Mata Mata

The mata mata, mata-mata, or matamata (Chelus fimbriata) is a South American species of freshwater turtle found in the Amazon basin and river system of the eastern Guianas. It was formerly believed to also occur in the Orinoco basin, western Guianas and upper Rio Negro–Branco system, but in 2020 these populations were found to belong to a separate species, Chelus orinocensis (Orinoco mata mata). Subsequently, some authorities have modified the common name of Chelus fimbriata to Amazon mata mata. These two are the only extant species in the genus Chelus.

The mata mata first became known to western scientists when it was described by French naturalist Pierre Barrère in 1741 as a "large land turtle with spiky and ridged scales" (translation). It was first scientifically described as Testudo terrestris in 1765 by Spanish zoologist Fermín Zanón Cervera, but the same scientific name was used for describing the Greek tortoise by Peter Forsskål posthumously in 1775. In 1783, the mata mata was scientifically described again, this time as Testudo fimbriata by German naturalist Johann Gottlob Schneider. In 1805, it was moved to its own genus as Chelys fimbriata by André Marie Constant... Wikipedia →