Welcome to Mill Mountain Zoo
Roanoke, Virginia
STATUS: VULNERABLE
How can I help?
-One of the main threats to this species is hunting. Recently, there has been a movement to adopt sustainable hunting practices. Do your part and don't buy wild-caught turtles for pets or food.
-Another impending threat this turtle faces is climate change. The higher temperatures may impact more than their habitat, and cause far more female turtles hatch than males. See what you can do to prevent climate change.
FAQ's:
1. Why is it called a Sidenecked Turtle?
Unlike most other turtles, these guys don't pull their head directly into the shell for protection. Instead their neck bends in an unusual S-shape, giving them this name.
Where can you find me?
(Click the map to find out more)
In the Ocorino and Amazon river basins of South America.
Click play to see this turtle in it's natural environment.
MEET VIVIAN, THE YELLOW SPOTTED SIDENECK TURTLE!
Scientific Name: Podocnemis unifilis
Diet: Omnivorous. This turtle eats vegetation, fruits, carrion, and freshwater mollusks.
Fun Fact:
The sex of turtle offspring is determined by temperature in the egg...cooler incubation temperatures produces more males, while warmer incubation temperatures produces more females.
Compare me to...
The Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta). This species is commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds throughout Virginia. They eat anything from plants to insects to carrion, and fulfill a similar ecological role to that of the Yellow Spotted Sideneck Turtle.
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