Creature Feature: Yellow Spotted River Turtles

Yellow Spotted River Turtles are now on display in Amazon Edge!

Yellow Spotted River Turtle

Two Yellow Spotted River Turtles recently moved into the Amazon exhibit. They get their name from the yellow spots visible on a juvenile’s neck. The spots fade as the turtle ages. These turtles are considered very aquatic and typically leave the water only to bask, so they may be found either swimming in the water or sunning themselves on the logs in the exhibit.

They are omnivores and in their native habitat (the Amazon River Basin), they eat vegetation as well as insects and crustaceans. Here, they are given a variety of food, such as pieces of shrimp and fish, aquatic turtle pellets and pieces of fruits and vegetables – like pear, apple, grapes and squash.

FUN FACT: These turtles are side-necked turtles – they pull their head in to the side when threatened.

Yellow Spotted River Turtle in the Carolina SciQuarium

Our Yellow Spotted River Turtles are about two years old and came to us from the San Antonio Zoo. They currently have a carapace length of about 7 inches, but they can grow to be about 14 inches long. You can visit them in the SciQuarium daily from 9:00am – 5:00pm.

Yellow Spotted River Turtles are currently listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. One reason for this classification is that they are a popular food item in some parts of their range.