Amazon Giant River Turtle Podocnemis expansa

The Amazon Giant River Turtle, also called the Arrau (Side-necked Turtle) is native to deep rivers and freshwater lakes of the Amazon and Orinoco Basins.

It is one of the world's largest freshwater terrapins/turtles and South America's largest with females reaching up to a metre in length. It is also the largest of the side-necked terrapins.

It has a double tubular nose. It is mainly aquatic outside the pre-breeding and egg-laying season, but does also bask and travel on land. Eggs are laid in sandy banks and gender of offspring is determined by temperature. Hatchlings are mainly carnivorous but adults are mainly herbivorous.

Their survival is threatened by habitat loss, dams, pollution, hunting and egg collection.