Hydromedusa tectifera
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The Argentine snake-necked turtle (Hydromedusa tectifera), also known commonly as the South American snake-necked turtle is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is known for the long neck to which its common names refer. Despite appearances, the Argentine snake-necked turtle is probably more closely related to the mata mata (Chelus fimbriatus) than to the Australian snake-necked turtles in the genus Chelodina. H. tectifera is found in northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and southern Brazil. Not much is known about it, as it has not been extensively researched. It is a popular pet in the exotic pet trade.
H. tectifera can reach up to 28 centimeters (11 inches) in straight carapace length. Its carapace is strongly keeled, and it can also be distinguished by black and yellowish markings along its head and neck. Generally, the females are larger than the males which often have larger tails.
The Argentine snake-necked turtle lives in slow-moving ponds, rivers, streams, and marshes, preferably with aquatic vegetation. In coastal areas, it will enter brackish water, and it may hibernate in colder areas of its distribution... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Berlin Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Tierpark Bern | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | |
| 4 | Zoo Americana / Parque Ecológico Municipal | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Prospect Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Aquarium Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | National Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a South-American Snake-headed Turtle sighting in Iguaçu National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 17 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a South-American Snake-headed Turtle in Iguaçu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July–August and October–May, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most South-American Snake-headed Turtle sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Iguaçu National Park, in our data
Iguaçu National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate South-American Snake-headed Turtle sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Chelidae
The closest relatives of the South-American Snake-headed Turtle that you can see in Iguaçu National Park (family Chelidae, Austro-American Side-necked Turtles) are Williams' South-American Side-necked Turtle (about 30%) and Geoffroy’s Side-necked Turtle (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the South-American Snake-headed Turtle is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Iguaçu National Park (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
