The matamata is a South American turtle with a striking appearance. Its carapace, or shell, is rough and knobby, and its long neck has skin fringes, bumps and ridges. The matamata turtle’s large, flat head features a wide mouth and a long, snorkel-like snout.
Habitat Matamata turtles are found throughout the Amazon
Discover animals, habitats and conservation through engaging virtual programs with a Zoo educator.
, leap and swim along on an adventure through the Amazon
Dr. Fernanda Abra completed her Ph.D. in road ecology in 2019 and earned her Master’s degree in 2012 from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. She has a post-doctoral fellowship with the Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP).
mitigating the fragmentation impacts of roads in the Amazon
One fish, two fish, red-blue Peru tetra fish. In November 2018, Smithsonian researchers spent two weeks in Peru counting and identifying fish. In this photo essay, see some of the animals they discovered.
protect the aquatic animals that call this part of the Amazon
Find a store or café near you that carries Bird Friendly coffee, or better yet, have it shipped to your door when you order online.
Friendly coffees from a roaster’s website or via their Amazon
What’s that in Peru’s sky? It’s a conservation drone! The new super hero of Peru has just arrived, and it is here to fight deforestation, safeguard ecosystem restoration and protect nature along with its Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientist sidekicks.
in some of the most diverse places on earth: the Amazon
Catch the latest news about our 1.5-year-old western lowland gorilla, Moke, from primate keeper Carolina Powell.
Fernanda’s team has built 30 canopy bridges in the Amazon
When a team of scientists couldn’t visit a forest to conduct research, they did it remotely, based on information made available in biodiversity databases.
biodiversity, the Atlantic Forest is second only to the Amazon
Slow down with Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s three southern two-toed sloths. Keeper Kara Ingraham works with Athena and Vlad in the Small Mammal House, and keeper Denny Charlton tends to Howie in Amazonia. Find out what it takes to care for these unique animals!
I’ve been to the Amazon forest.
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is home to two new regally mustachioed monkeys.
Emperor tamarins are native to the Amazon rainforest
