Published March 8, 2023. Open access. | Purchase book ❯ |
South American Snapping-Turtle (Chelydra acutirostris)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Testudines | Chelydridae | Chelydra acutirostris
English common name: South American Snapping-Turtle.
Spanish common names: Tortuga mordedora, tortugaña (Ecuador); tortuga pímpano, bachará (Colombia).
Recognition: ♂♂ 48.4 cmMaximum straight length of the carapace. ♀♀ 39.1 cmMaximum straight length of the carapace..1,2 The South American Snapping-Turtle (Chelydra acutirostris) differs from other freshwater turtles in western Ecuador by having a broad carapace with three longitudinal keels and parallel lateral margins.3,4 The plastron is cross-shaped and lacks movable lobes.5 The carapace is dark brown with a pattern of lines radiating over each scute, but algal growth can obscure this pattern (Fig. 1).6 The tail is almost as long as the carapace.3 The head has a powerful apical hook and 4–6 barbules on the chin.4 The limbs are robust and end in long nails.3 Males are larger and have longer, thicker tails than females.3 No other turtle in western Ecuador can be confused with C. acutirostris.
Figure 1: Individuals of Chelydra acutirostris from Guayas () and Azuay () provinces, Ecuador. ad=adult, j=juvenile.
Natural history: Chelydra acutirostris is a commonRecorded weekly in densities above five individuals per locality. chelonian in rescue centers of Ecuador, but it is rarelyTotal average number of reported observations per locality less than ten. seen in the wild. South American Snapping-Turtles are aquatic, primarily nocturnal, and spend most of the time in shallow water.3 They are poor swimmers and move by strolling on the bottom of rivers, streams, lagoons, lakes, and swamps.4,6 They also occur in artificial water bodies such as fish ponds, tailing ponds, ditches polluted by agrochemicals, and domestic and industrial wastewater.4 These turtles prefer sandy or muddy substrate as it allows them to be buried for long periods of time.7 They may also be seen walking slowly and deliberately along the banks, but rarely sunbathing; or they may do so half submerged and supported by logs.3 These turtles are ambush predators and their diet is omnivorous. They feed on crabs, shrimp, fish, mollusks, earthworms, insects, frogs, baby turtles, snakes, birds, and small mammals, as well as carrion and aquatic vegetation.2,3 Snapping turtles are not social creatures. Males are territorial and occupy 0.1–15 hectare ranges,4 although there is overlap between territories.8
When threatened, snapping turtles face potential attackers by jumping with their mouth open.7 They can also release a strong and nauseating musk.3 Handling a large snapping turtle can result in serious injuries due to the force of their jaw and their aggressively defensive temperament.3 Only the Brown Caiman (Caiman fuscus) has been reported as a natural predator of adults of this species.7 Copulation in Chelydra acutirostris takes place underwater.5 Females excavate their nests at a distance of up to 50 m from water bodies.8 In Ecuador, egg-laying takes place at the end of the rainy season (May–June).9 The clutch contains 11–83 (average=27) round eggs measuring 28–33 mm in diameter and weighing 5–15 g.2,3,7 The incubation period is 55–125 days (about 2–4 months).10 In other Chelydra species, incubation temperature determines the sex of the hatchlings, with a greater percentage of females resulting from temperatures above 27°C.2 Snapping turtles are most vulnerable as eggs and hatchlings and there are records of predation by coyotes, armadillos, and the snake Drymarchon melanurus.2,10
Conservation: Least Concern Believed to be safe from extinction given current circumstances..11 Chelydra acutirostris is listed in this category given its wide distribution over areas that have not been heavily affected by deforestation, including the entire Colombian Pacific coast and major ecological reserves in Ecuador: Cotacachi Cayapas, Cayapas Mataje, and Mache Chindul. Therefore, the species is considered to be facing no major immediate extinction threats. However, populations outside protected areas in Ecuador and Colombia are declining due to habitat loss and indiscriminate harvesting.4,12 Adult turtles are hunted for medicinal use, carving of handicrafts, consumption, or to be used or sold as pets.4,5,12
Distribution: Chelydra acutirostris is native to an estimated 328,705 km2 area in the Chocó–Río Magdalena valley and Mesoamerica biogeographic regions.1 The species occurs from southeastern Honduras, along the Atlantic versant of Central America, to western Colombia and Ecuador.1 In Ecuador, C. acutirostris has been recorded at elevations between 0 and 624 m (Fig. 2).
Figure 2: Distribution of Chelydra acutirostris in Ecuador. The star corresponds to the type locality: Guayaquil, Guayas province. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.
Etymology: The generic name Chelydra is a Greek word meaning “tortoise.”13 The specific epithet acutirostris, which is formed by the Latin words acutus (meaning “pointed”) and rostrum (meaning “snout”),13 refers to the slightly pointed snout of this species compared with that of C. serpentina.14
See it in the wild: Due to human persecution, South American Snapping-Turtles are becoming increasingly rare in the coastal region of Ecuador. However, in some protected areas, like Canandé Reserve, they may still be abundant. Active individuals are most easily found at night submerged in shallow water or embedded in muddy areas, particularly in freshwater ecosystems having abundant aquatic vegetation along the edges and many submerged trunks.
Acknowledgments: Special thanks to Ernesto Arbeláez (Bioparque Amaru) and Ricardo Chiriboga and María Belén Chiriboga (Zoo el Pantanal) for prodiving photographic access to specimens of Chelydra acutirostris under their care.
Special thanks to Carolina López for symbolically adopting the South American Snapping-Turtle and helping bring the Reptiles of Ecuador book project to life.
Click here to adopt a species.
Authors: Gabriela SandovalaAffiliation: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador. and Alejandro ArteagabAffiliation: Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador.
Photographers: Jose VieiracAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,dAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador. and Alejandro ArteagabAffiliation: Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador.
How to cite? Sandoval G, Arteaga A (2023) South American Snapping-Turtle (Chelydra acutirostris). In: Arteaga A, Bustamante L, Vieira J (Eds) Reptiles of Ecuador: Life in the middle of the world. Available from: www.reptilesofecuador.com. DOI: 10.47051/IZLK7700
Literature cited:
- Rhodin AGJ, Iverson JB, Bour R, Fritz U, Georges A, Shaffer HB, van Dijk PP (2021) Turtles of the world: annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. Chelonian Research Monographs 8: 1–472. DOI: 10.3854/crm.8.checklist.atlas.v9.2021
- Savage JM (2002) The amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica, a herpetofauna between two continents, between two seas. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 934 pp.
- Rueda-Almonacid JV, Carr JL, Mittermeier RA, Rodríguez-Mahecha JV, Mast RB, Vogt RC, Rhodin AGJ, de la Ossa-Velásquez J, Rueda JN, Mittermeier CG (2007) Las tortugas y los cocodrilianos de los países andinos del trópico. Conservación Internacional, Bogotá, 538 pp.
- Young-Valencia K, Ortega-Guio A, Carr JL, Giraldo A, Botero-Botero A (2021) Chelydra acutirostris Peters, 1862. Catálogo de Anfibios y Reptiles de Colombia 7: 20–30.
- Regalado Tabares AK, Botéro-Botéro A, Múnera-Isaza C, Ortega-Guio AF, Restrepo Isaza A (2012) Chelydra acutirostris. In: Páez VP, Morales-Betancourt MA, Lasso CA, Castaño-Mora OV, Bock BC (Eds) Biología y conservación de las tortugas continentales de Colombia. Serie Editorial Recursos Hidrobiológicos y Pesqueros Continentales de Colombia, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (IAvH), Bogotá, 275–278.
- Leenders T (2019) Reptiles of Costa Rica: a field guide. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 625 pp.
- Medem F (1977) Contribución al conocimiento sobre la taxonomía, distribución geográfica y ecología de la tortuga “Bache” (Chelydra serpentina acutirostris). Caldasia 12: 41–101.
- Ortega-Guio AF (2005) Determinación del área de actividad y uso del hábitat de la tortuga bache Chelydra acutirostris reintroducida y silvestre en las madreviejas de La Trozada, El Madrigal, y la Herradura utilizando la técnica de radiotelemetría. Fundación Ecoandina, WCS Colombia, Santiago de Cali, 64 pp.
- Grunewald F (2008) Observations on the South-American snapping turtle Chelydra acutirostris Peters, 1862 in Ecuador. Emys 15: 33–40.
- Acuña RA (1998) Las tortugas continentales de Costa Rica. Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, 96 pp.
- Reyes-Puig C (2015) Un método integrativo para evaluar el estado de conservación de las especies y su aplicación a los reptiles del Ecuador. MSc thesis, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, 73 pp.
- Carr JL, Almendáriz A, Simmons JE, Nielsen MT (2014) Subsistence hunting for turtles in northwestern Ecuador. Acta Biológica Colombiana 19: 401–413. DOI: 10.15446/abc.v19n3.42886
- Brown RW (1956) Composition of scientific words. Smithsonian Books, Washington D.C., 882 pp.
- Bonin F, Devaux B, Dupré A (2006) Tortugas del mundo. Lynx, Barcelona, 416 pp.
Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Chelydra acutirostris in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used.
| Country | Province | Locality | Source |
| Colombia | Nariño | Bajo Cumilinche | UPTC 2019 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Boca del Rio Mataje | Young-Valencia et al. 2021 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Rio Mataje, La Brea | Young-Valencia et al. 2021 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Rio Mataje, near La Brea | Young-Valencia et al. 2021 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Tumaco | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Caluma | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Cañar | La Puntilla | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | El Jardín de los Sueños | Pellet 2017 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | La Maná | Cisneros-Heredia 2006 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | El Guabo | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | El Oro | El Guabo, 1 km NE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Huaquillas | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Humedal La Tembladera | Garzón-Santomaro et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | La Palestina, 1 km SE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Machala | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Puerto Bolívar | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Puerto Pitahaya | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Borbón | Cisneros-Heredia 2006 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Bosque Protector La Perla | Photo by Plácido Palacios |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Cachabi | USNM 204050; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Carondelet | GBIF Catalog #1319176759 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Concepción | Carr et al. 2014 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | El Guabo, 8 km SW of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Hacienda Erazo | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Hacienda Los Cascabeles | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Incopalmito S.A. | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | La Boca | USNM 281875; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | La Tola | Cisneros-Heredia 2006 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Muisne | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Pambilar | Distribution map in Rhodin 2021 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Playa Grande | Carr et al. 2014 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Reserva Ecológica Mache Chindul | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Río Blanco | USNM 204049; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Río Hoja Blanca | Observation by Alejandro Arteaga |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Río Quinindé | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | San José de Tagua | Cisneros-Heredia 2006 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Cabeceras del Río Congo | USNM 204051; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Camaroneras del Río Taura | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Cerro del Muerto | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Durán | AMNH 23425; not examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | El Empalme, Guayas (Pueblo Nuevo) | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Guayaquil, Ciudadela Paraíso | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Guayaquil, La Bahía | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Isidro Ayora | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Isla de Silva | Orcés 1949 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Isla Santay | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Manglares Churute | Dirección Zonal 5 MAATE |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Rancho de Wang | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Río Cañar | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Sendero Los Samanes | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Llurimagua | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Buena Fé | Video by Robinson Cevallos |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Centro Científico Río Palenque | MCZ 162883; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Del María Jose | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Pozuelos | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Quevedo | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Cañales | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | La Bramadora | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Poza Honda | Photo by Lisa Brunetti |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Represa La Esperanza | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Sube y Baja | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Zapallo | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Botrosa, 2 km NE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | El Monte Lodge | Photo by Tom Quesenberry |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Pedro Vicente Maldonado | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Puerto Quito Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Rancho Suamox | Photo by Rafael Ferro |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Reserva Pambiliño | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Río Mashpi | Medina 2021 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Selva Virgen | Observation by Alejandro Arteaga |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Via a Gran Colombia, km 3 | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Via a Gran Colombia, km 4 | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Vivero Frutal Jaboticaba | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Yaku Forest Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Centro de Rescate James Brown | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Cóngoma | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | El Sabalo | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Finca la Esperanza | USNM 281873; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | La Concordia, 6 km SE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | La Unión, 4 km SE of | GBIF Catalog #1320851586 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Minera Tres Hermanos | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Santo Domingo de los Colorados | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Santo Domingo, 15 km N of | AMNH 110613; not examined |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Santo Domingo, via Alfonso Toledo | iNaturalist; photo examined |