Turtle Rescue Project Update, 4 Aug 2020: Arrau turtle (Charapa) nest found!
Turtle Rescue Project Update, 4 Aug 2020: We have found a nest of the Arrau turtle (Podocnemis expansa), also known as giant Amazon River Turtle at the Tapiche Jungle Reserve in the Northern Amazon of Peru!
The Arrau turtle has almost been extinct from the region and last year was the very first nesting season that we were able to find a nest of this species. While the nests of the Yellow-Spotted River Turtle mostly contain between 35 and 45 eggs, this nest of the Arrau Turtle had 139 eggs! The eggs are rounder and are very similar to ping-pong balls regarding size and shape. The sand that looks darker than the rest of the beach is the sand that the turtle has been moving and digging while making the nest. While the size of the nest is a lot bigger than that of the Yellow-Spotted River Turtle, its structure and the way the eggs are arranged inside of the nest are similar.
This is only the third nest of the Arrau turtle that we ever have found. We are very excited and very happy to see that the Arrau Turtle is still present and reproducing inside the Tapiche Jungle Reserve.
We want to thank everyone supporting the Turtle Rescue Project, we are so happy that we were able to hire our local staff back. Having our local staff back, being able to support them and working on the Turtle Rescue Project together with them is incredibly rewarding for us and would not be possible without your help! Thank you!
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