Trionychidae
Testudines
Reptilia
From 65 to 75 days.
About 40 eggs.
Mainly carnivorous. It feeds on fish, insects, crustaceans, amphibians and small reptiles, occasionally also including plants and palm seeds in its diet.
Up to 53 years in captivity.
These turtles can weigh 25 to 30 kilos, with females being larger than males, although, on the other hand, they have longer and more robust tails than females.
Its shell is brown, flat and oval in shape. This lacks horny plates, as in most turtles, and is instead covered by flexible, tough skin that extends over the neck and limbs. The laying period occurs between the months of March and June, generally in sandy areas and near water. The female digs a hole 15 to 20 cm in diameter, and 20 to 40 cm deep. She then lays the eggs, covers them with sand, and finally abandons them.
After 2 or 3 months the babies will emerge, which will have an average weight of 17g, and a size between 42 and 54 mm. It spends most of its time in water, and often buries itself under silt or silt clay to avoid being seen by predators. It only comes out of the water to sunbathe.
It is a threatened species due to the fishing to which they were subjected by local populations, since their meat is highly valued.
