The Arrau turtle (Podocnemis expansa), also known as the South American river turtle, giant South American turtle, giant Amazon River turtle, Arrau sideneck turtle, Amazon River turtle or simply the Arrau, is the largest of the side-neck turtles (Pleurodira) and the largest freshwater turtle in Latin America.
Range and habitat
Arrau turtles are found in the Amazon, Orinoco and Essequibo basins in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Guyana.
Appearance
left|thumb|Basking in [[Colombia]]
Arrau turtles can reach up to in weight and the carapace length is up to . Most individuals are considerably smaller with the average adult female having a carapace length of and the average adult male . Mating occurs in the water. At other times the species is generally not found on land. When hatching, the females emit sounds which attract the young; they stay together for a period in the flooded forests. Vocalizations appear to play an important role in the social life of this turtle and in addition to the "connect to newly hatched young" sound, four primary sounds have been documented during the nesting season: one used during migration, one before basking, one when nesting at night and finally one when in the water after nesting.
Conservation status
thumb|Adult at [[Krefeld Zoo, Germany]]thumb|Facility for raising Arrau turtles in Venezuela
The Arrau turtle is widespread and was not considered threatened overall by the IUCN in 1996 (the year of the last full review), A number of conservation projects have been initiated. For example, 54 nesting beaches have been protected in Brazil, and some of these keep Arrau turtles, also in semi-intensive farm systems.