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Turtle is a shelled amphibian creature. There are a lot of turtle species in the world. Many of them are facing the danger of extinction. Their natural habitat is slowly disappearing caused by deforestation, water pollution and lack of food. In several countries, turtles are popular delicacies and they hunted for it. Due to their rarity, turtle prices were very high at the moment. Here are the lists of the exotic turtles around the world.
Cantor’s Giant Soft Shelled Turtle
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This is one of the fresh water turtle species with a wide head and small eyes near their snout. They buried themselves under the river, spend most of their time there and rarely move. They hunt their prey such as fish; mollusks and crustaceans in a sudden attack. This species of turtle can grow up to 12 feet in length and weighed for more than 100 pund. Cantor’s Giant Soft Shelled Turtle can be located in Singapore, China, Indonesia and Philippines. Although they are rarely seen in the wild, but they are abundantly discovered in the Cambodia, specifically in Mekong River.
Big Headed Turtle
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This species of turtle is an extraordinary; they can climb up the tree very fast. Big Headed Turtle or Platysternon Megachepalum can be located in clear riverside of China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. This turtle mainly feed on snails and fish. Unlike the other turtle, this species can’t put their head inside the carapaces, but still they have powerful jaws as their defense mechanism. The Big headed turtles are facing the danger of extinction because of illegal hunting. It’s already popular as a tasty delicacy and their populations are rapidly decreasing each year.
Chinese Soft Shelled Turtle
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This turtle is usually choosing saline water area as their natural habitat. The Chinese Soft Shelled Turtle can be discovered in Taiwan, Korea, China, and North Vietnam until Russia. This species has webbed feet to swim and the olive black colored shell. Their diets are consisting of insects, fish, crustaceans, and mollusk. Sometimes they plants as well. The male Chinese Soft Shelled Turtle reached their sexual maturity at 4-6 years and the female will lays about 8-30 eggs and the offspring will hatch around 2 months. This species is commercially raised in China to get their meat and kept as pet in around the world. This species is considered as a fragile creature. They can easily injured if they are hit or dropped.
Argentine Snake- necked Turtle
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This species of turtle has been located in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina and the other South American country. This species of turtle is one of the popular exotic pets. Argentine Snake- necked Turtle or Hydromedusa tectifera has a distinctive long neck and they can grow up to 30 centimeters. The females are usually having larger bodies than the males. Their natural habitats are aquatic environments such as marshes, river and streams. They are generally carnivorous creatures eating fish, insects and other smaller amphibians.
Mata Mata
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This unique species of turtle is nearly invisible to see in the wild. They perfectly submerged with the surrounding environment thanks for the wooded like carapaces. Mata-mata or Chelus Fimbriatus spend most of their lifetime underwater. This large creature can be recognized by it’s pressed head and generally brown in skin. Mata mata can be located in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and other South American countries. Their favorite food consists of fish and other aquatic invertebrates.
Pig-nosed Turtle
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This species is one of the endemic Australian freshwater and lagoon creatures. They can be easily recognized by their nose resembling a pig. Unlike the other turtle, Pig-nosed Turtle or Carettochelyis Insculpta is known as one of the most aggressive turtle in nature. The females need 18 years to reach their sexual maturity and it needs 16 years for the males. These creatures are generally omnivorous. Plants, mollusks, insects and fish are their favorite food.
Black-knobbed Map Turtle
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The Black-knobbed Map Turtle is one of the American species of turtle. This unique creature can be recognized by their four backward projecting processes. It needs about 3-4 years for the males to reach their sexual maturity and 7-8 years for the females. This species spend most of their time basking on the fallen trees and they can jump out to the water quickly when threatened. They are looking for cover under the river and between the branches of fallen trees. However, they were consumed for its meat and eggs. Their population is threatened due to that matter.
Spiny Soft shelled Turtle
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This species can be found in Canadian aquatic area. The Spiny Softshelled Turtle or Apalone Spinifera is considered as the largest freshwater turtle in North American continent. They need 8-10 years to reach their sexual maturity and it has been reported that a females can live until 50 years. Once they are already mating, the females will produce around 8-38 eggs. The eggs will hatch around spring season.
Rote Island Snake-necked Turtle
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The Rote Island Snake-necked Turtle is the most wanted animals in the Global Pets Trade. This turtle is an endemic species of Southwest Timor, Rote and between New Guinea as well as Australia. The Rote Island Snake-necked Turtle or Chelodina mccordi is being hunted for its rarity and deforestation and natural exploitation is main causes why their population number is quickly reduced.
Common Snapping Turtle
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In 2006, the Common Snapping Turtle has been officially stated as the reptile of New York. This is the largest freshwater turtle and they can be located in Canada. This species has been known as the largest turtle along with Alligator Snapping Turtle. This turtle has been hunted for its meat. This turtle commonly feed on fish, small amphibians and anything that moved underwater. A female snapping turtle can live up to 47 years in captivity.
Alligator Snapping Turtle
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This fierce looking turtle is the largest species of freshwater turtle. Alligator Snapping Turtle or Macrochelys Temminckii will eat anything that moved underwater. Their jaws are also famous as the strongest jaws among the other species of turtle. They could kill snake, crocodile and other turtle with their powerful jaws.
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