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Giant South American Turtle
Vincent A. Vos, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist

Turtles & tortoises

Giant South American Turtle

Podocnemis expansa (Schweigger, 1812)

NT Near Threatened

Names

EnglishGiant South American Turtle
DutchArrauschildpad
SpanishCharapa arrau
Chinese南美巨侧颈龟
Sranan Tongosekrepatu (general name for the group)
Scientific namePodocnemis expansa (Schweigger, 1812)

About this species

The Arrau turtle (Podocnemis expansa), also known as the South American river turtle, giant South American turtle, giant Amazon River turtle, Arrau sideneck turtle, Amazon River turtle or simply the Arrau, is the largest of the side-neck turtles (Pleurodira) and the largest freshwater turtle in Latin America. The species primarily feeds on plant material and typically nests in large groups on beaches. Due to hunting of adults, collecting of their eggs, pollution, habitat loss, and dams, the Arrau turtle is seriously threatened.

Read more on Wikipedia · Text: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassTestudines
FamilyPodocnemididae
GenusPodocnemis

In Suriname

5Records in Suriname
1iNaturalist observations
1884First record
2025Latest record

Where it has been recorded

  • Commewijne1

Districts with at least one record that has coordinates. Shaded districts have records.

Sources & credits

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