Matamata is a freshwater turtle with a very flat head and a fringe of skin flaps. It lives on the bottom of South American rivers and hunts by suddenly sucking in prey.
Matamata differs from other turtles with its flat head fringed with skin flaps and its suction hunting method. It is important for nature as a predator that helps maintain the balance of fish populations in Amazon rivers.
Worker
birth time
Heavy rains in summer
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
shallow coastal zones of rivers and lakes
g
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
very hot and very humid all year round, rain almost every day
days
South and Central America, hot and humid, huge forests
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
suction
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
very heavy rains in summer, almost no precipitation in winter
Captures food by straining water or substrate through specialized structures.
adult
Maturity
Handbag
South and Central America, hot and humid, huge forests
invertebrates
About health
from 1.2 to 4.8 kilograms, 0.7 – 1.4 meters
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
Repro interval
results
small frogs, newts, salamanders
Carapace size
Colors
Sex
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
live fish
Trophic type
all living animals without backbone
Filters
always hot and humid, huge trees and vines
Upcoming birthdays
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
rains almost always, very humid
Age (juvenile)
Age (from birth to death)
Age (embryo)
most of Europe and Asia, various forests, steppes and tundra
Wanderers
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
Draws prey or water into the mouth by creating negative pressure.
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
small amphibians
Lifespan average
Regeneration
Carapace color
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
end of lifespan
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
fish
end of acceleration
Share
swampy freshwater biotopes — peat bogs, marshes, river mangroves
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
Freshwater
Pets
all rivers and lakes
Primary oral structure used to seize, manipulate, or ingest food.
{name} jubilee
cm
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
mouth
desert and semi-desert
turns
Rascals
terrestrial forest
Litter size
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
°C
Not specified
Where are they found?
Species lacks any fixed or lasting shelter structure.
all rivers and lakes
insects living in water or near water — mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Offspring
Tropical moist forest
Elders
Bro
freshwater marsh and wetlands
Taxons
carnivore
freshwater pelagic
rivers and streams
if born as {name}
age
birth date
Head size
Palearctic realm
no permanent shelter
arid terrestrial biotopes with sparse vegetation
freshwater coastal and creek
Close
Egg shell color
was
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
The basics
Neotropical realm
My weight?
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
Mouth size
primary food sources
Neotropical realm
Potential Habitat
suction
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Mass
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
Gestation
{name} birthday
aquatic insects
Always hot
No results found
Hot with heavy summer rains
On the map
all life stages
Female ♀
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
open water in the water column of a freshwater body, away from the bottom and shore
birth year
Maturity
terrestrial habitat, land surface outside water
sq mm
yr
How similar?
Neck size
Male ♂
until the celebration
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
Neither
Mouthpart modified to create suction for ingesting food or anchoring.
from birth to adulthood
What do they eat?
Where do they live?
Immature individual that has not yet reached reproductive maturity.
from birth to death
forests on land — tropical, temperate, boreal
Freshwater
Duration
filter feeding
Always hot and wet
This is me
freshwater
Always very wet
Gamers
hot, heavy rains in summer, little precipitation in winter
How are they built?
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
My age?
wk
My size?
terrestrial
Asexual
swap
freshwater environment — rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Where do they take shelter?
Skin fringes color
Head color
celebrated their {n} birthday
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
very hot all year round, frequent rains, but sometimes dry
flowing fresh waters — rivers, streams, mountain torrents
Head fringes color
Daddies
Lifespan maximum
Hermaphrodite ⚥
embryo
Length
kg
Observations
◉{N} more on tap