Podocnemis unifilis
Silhouette: Haplochromis · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis), also known commonly as the yellow-headed sideneck turtle and the yellow-spotted river turtle, and locally as the taricaya, is one of the largest South American river turtles.
Podocnemis unifilis is a type of side-necked turtles, so called because they do not pull their heads directly into their shells, but rather bend their necks sideways to tuck their heads under the rim of their shells. Side-neck turtles are classified as members of the suborder Pleurodira.
Podocnemis unifilis is a large turtle, and can grow up to 45 cm long and weigh up to 8 kg. This species can be recognized by its black or brown oval carapace (upper shell) with distinctive low keels on the second and third scutes. Yellow spots on the side of its head give this species its common name. These spots are most prominent in juveniles and fade with age. Females can be up to twice the size of males.
These turtles are native to South America's Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as rivers systems of the Guianas. They are found in tributaries and large lakes, naturally calm waters. During the flood... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Amacayacu National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | Anavilhanas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 6 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
No species of the same family or order lives in Manu National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-headed Sideneck sighting in Manu National Park on a given day, based on 37 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 56 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and September
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-headed Sideneck in Manu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March and April, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-headed Sideneck sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Yellow-headed Sideneck sightings, Manu National Park ranks 5th at about 20%. The best odds are in Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, about 40%), Tambopata National Reserve (Peru, about 30%) and Amacayacu National Natural Park (Colombia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellow-headed Sideneck is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Manu National Park (37 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.
