Planet Earth remains home to some of the most bizarre yet beautiful animals. From birds that perform quirky mating rituals to mammals that lay eggs, our natural world never ceases to amaze us with the weird and wonderful. Reptiles already host some of the strangest species we've come to know but when we think of turtles and tortoises we often picture a creature with a domed shell and the face of an old man that slowly lumbers around eating plants. What if we told you there is a turtle that looks nothing like that but instead appears as though it is a rotting log with fallen leaves and has a snorkel for a nose? What if we told you that it has a permanent smile on its face and that it suction feeds on live fish? Well, all of that is true and in this video we explore the amazing mata mata turtle (Chelus fimbriata) from South America. This wacky turtle species is found in iconic areas like the Amazon and Orinoco basin as it sits motionless at the bottom of freshwater bodies waiting for unsuspecting fish to pass by. Meet our brand new addition "Jatta" the mata and see how we set up a zoostyle habitat for her in our indoor nature room.

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Who is Garden State Tortoise?

However you made it here, thank you and welcome to Garden State Tortoise. Garden State Tortoise is home to hundreds of animals from all around the world. We are a family dedicated to adventure, conservation of wildlife, and all things nature. We are a reptile rescue and breeding facility for more than ten years, offering refuge to those who need it, and working everyday to protect the beautiful world of reptiles in any way we can. Here on our YouTube channel you will be able to join us on our animal adventures while learning how to care for, protect, properly identify, feed and even breed many species of turtle, tortoise, snake and lizard. We even work with frogs and salamanders! We hope you enjoy our videos and help us share them with the world so we can continue to educate people of all ages about herpetology.

Chris and Casey Leone