Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Photographs on this page were taken by Paul Smith,Silvia Centrón, Alberto Esquivel and Hugo del Castillo and are used with their permission.
ARGENTINE TORTOISE Chelonoidis petersi
Tortoises are terrestrial turtles, they cannot swim and have feet adapted for locomotion on land - not flattened as in the turtles. There are two species of Tortoise found in Paraguay, though neither is either to find. The Argentine Tortoise is the smallest of the two. Tortoises are vegetarians, feeding entirely on plant matter and using their bird-like "beak" to crop the most succulent shoots.
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPREP22PH) Adult, Laguna Ganso, Cuenca de Upper Yacaré Sur (Hugo del Castillo February 2007).
FIGURE 2 - (FPREP23PH) Same individual from front (Hugo del Castillo February 2007).
FIGURE 3 - (FPREP24PH) Same individual dorsal view (Sylvia Centrón February 2007).
FIGURE 4 - (FPREP25PH) Juvenile, location unknown (Alberto Esquivel undated).
FIGURE 5 - (FPREP26PH) Juvenile, PN Tte Enciso, Departmento Boquerón (Paul Smith October 2009).
FIGURE 6 - (FPREP27PH) Dorsal view of juvenile defensive posture, PN Teniente Enciso (Paul Smith July 2006).
FIGURE 7 - (FPREP28PH) Ventral view of same specimen (Paul Smith July 2006).
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