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A mata mata turtle with a flat, fringed head resting on stones underwater.
Photo: J. Patrick Fischer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mata Mata

Chelus fimbriata

A camouflaged Amazon turtle with a flat head and snorkel nose that vacuums up fish by suddenly opening its mouth.

🐢 Turtles and Tortoises
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About the Mata Mata

Mata matas live in slow-moving, shallow water with soft, muddy bottoms throughout the Amazon in northern South America, including Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia. Their rough, knobby shell and the fringes and bumps on the neck help them blend in. A long, tube-shaped snout works like a snorkel, so only the tip has to reach the surface for the turtle to breathe.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Chelus fimbriata[1][2]
Size
Shell up to nearly 45 cm (about 1.5 feet) long.[1]
Weight
Up to about 17.2 kg (38 pounds).[1]
Diet
Carnivore. Small fish and invertebrates.[1]
Habitat
Slow-moving, shallow water with soft, muddy bottoms.[1]
Where it lives
The Amazon in northern South America, and Trinidad.[1]
Group life
Mostly active at night.[1]
Babies
12 to 28 eggs, which take about 200 days to hatch.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2023).[2]

Fun facts

  • A mata mata's long snout works like a snorkel.[1]
  • Mata matas catch food by suddenly opening their mouths so water and prey rush in.[1]
  • Mata mata eggs take about 200 days to hatch.[1]

Vocabulary

camouflage
Colors or patterns that help an animal blend in with its surroundings.
snorkel
A tube used to breathe air while staying underwater.
suction feeding
Catching food by quickly pulling in water so prey gets swept into the mouth.
carnivore
An animal that eats mostly meat.
ambush
To hide and wait, then attack by surprise.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Matamata turtle.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/matamata-turtle (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Chelus fimbriata (Amazon Matamata).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/171924/1337442 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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