Chelonoidis denticulata

 

 

Family: TESTUDINIDAE

Scientific Name: Chelonoidis denticulata

Brazil: jabuti amarelo.

Length/Weight: Up to 82 cm in length and 60kg, but it is more common to encounter animals around 40cm in length, weighing 15kg.

Morphological Characteristics: The shell is light brown with yellow or pale orange spots. some of the scales on the head and legs are pale-yellow. The males have a slightly concave plastron and are slightly larger than the females with a thicker, longer tail.

Habitat: This species lives in tropical forests like the Amazon and doesn't enter open areas. It is common in Brazil and Venezuela.

Diet: They are omnivorous and eat fruit, flowers, seeds, invertebrates and carrion, mainly during the daytime. 

Reprodution: They copulate all year round, principly between August and February. They lay approximately 8 eggs. The female generally buries the eggs, but may also just cover them with leaves. The sex of the offspring is determined by the incubation temperature.

Exploitation: They are widely eaten both in cities and rural areas. In some regions just parts of the animal like the liver and oviduct are sold.