- 20 - 27 inch shell length up to 50lbs
- 50-60 years
- Vegetation and fruits
- Located in Northern South America; This tortoise can be found in the Amazon River Basin Dense rainforest.
Phone: (570) 538-1869
Forest Tortoise
Portable Protein
Most male tortoises have a concaved bottom shell, allowing them to balance against a female’s shell during mating. These tortoises have been hunted by small tribes of native Amazonians for thousands of years. Hunters capture the tortoises alive, bind them with plant fibers, and carry them to the village like backpacks. Tortoises are often cooked in their own shells over open fires. Commercial collection now threatens this species as huge numbers are sold in city markets as a delicacy.
