ARI FLAGLE

 Introduction

 Ever since I can remember, I have always been intrigued with Mata Mata turtles. I can think back to the first time I laid eyes on one of these unique animals in the flesh. I was probably about 11 at the time .Where I was taken to a local pet store.  I remember walking through what seemed like cages and cages of reptiles – snakes, frogs, lizards, tortoises, and turtles everywhere I looked. I was in heaven. Bending down to look into what seemed to be a rather marshy pool of water, I saw a little nose just barely breaking the surface.  As I looked closer I saw the rest of what I could only describe at the time as a Dinosaur!

 

“What is that?” I eagerly asked the pet store employee. He told me that it was a Mata Mata turtle. I immediately asked if I could hold it. “Ha,” he said and told me to quit bothering him. I stared at that animal for what seemed like hours, and its image has always stayed in my mind. In the many years that I have worked with many species of reptiles I am always drawn back to these unique turtles. Throughout this article I hope to shed some light on the basic captive care of these very peculiar creatures and techniques I have found to be very helpful in captive husbandry.

 

Description

 

This turtle  was first classified as Testudo fimbriata by a German naturalist Johann Gottlob Schneider in 1783. It was renamed 14 different times in 2 centuries, finally being renamed Chelus fimbriatus in 1934 by Robert Mertens and Muller. Chelus fimbriatus or Mata Mata turtle have a unique appearance. They have a very flat, narrow head that often resembles a dead leaf. Their nose is a very long fleshy tube, which is used just like a snorkel. They are able to lift their long and muscular neck to just allow the nose to break the surface of the water.

 

Mata Mata turtles inhabit very shallow areas of water, often with thick vegetation covering the surface and preventing little or no light to penetrate to the bottom. They have very small, light sensitive eyes that can detect even the smallest amount of movement in this environment.  Their neck and lower jaw are equipped with dead skin and flaps or fringes. I believe that this camouflage assist in  breaking up the shape of the turtle under the water in aid in its bizarre habits as well as helping detect movement in the water that is surrounding them. There skin flaps are said to be highly sensitive sensory organs that are said to allow the turtle to detect water movement and material around the turtle. The shells of the Mata Matas look quite unique; they are exceptionally boney and tapered, ranging from dark browns to yellows and even light red in some specimens. The mata mata turtle has rather flat and webbed feet witch help these animals to root themselves quite firmly under the surface.

 

 

 

Environment:

 

C. fimbriatus is predominately found throughout certain areas of South America including Venezuela, Rio Orinoco, the Amazon Basin in Brazil, Peru, Columbia, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Mata Mata turtles are found in slow moving freshwater environments. This species is rarely seen out of water except when a female is depositing her eggs, and even that is a rare occurrence . The majority of the time they spend lying on the bottom of a river or stream where they periodically break the water’s surface to breathe. This species is a weak swimmer, which is one of the reasons they choose to inhabit small, shallow, slow moving areas of water. This habitat has much live and dead vegetation, which creates a very dark and acidic environment..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adult Husbandry:

 

When acquiring a Mata Mata turtle there are certain thing to keep in mind and look for. First of all is the animal in overall good appearance, does it have good color, does it have all its toes, is the shell damaged, how does its nose look, and does it look alert ( keep in mind these turtles are not overly active but they should show response when touched). These are all very important things to consider before purchasing a Mata Mata . I would also suggest to take your turtle to a qualified turtle vet that is familiar with Mata Mata’s. Once this has been addressed then you can move on to captive care techniques and acclimation. Depending on the size of the animal and how many you have. I recommend using the large feeder troughs that you can buy at feed shops. Mata Mata turtles do not require a lot of room or a hugely elaborate enclosure with all the bells and whistles, but ultimately you want to provide the most room possible when dealing with any animal. I maintain my adults in a three foot wide by four foot long and two and a half feet tall stock tanks. Equipped with large canister filters and aquatic plants both in the tubs and hanging over the surface of the water. The water level is very important as’ well as the condition that it is in. You don’t want your Turtle to have to tredd water to get a breath of air, they should be able to gradually raise there head and break the surface with little or no effort. Keep in mind they are not good swimmers. The best way to describe them is like underwater couch potatoes. Only one of my adult tanks has a substrate on the bottom. The others do not. This reason is for the particular way that these turtles feed witch allows for substrate to be swallowed and possibly injected this can easily kill a mata mata. If you are going to incorporate a substrate I recommend smooth river rock, these being larger and harder to ingest. When feeding some turtles. Some are smarter then others and will expel gravel when eating fish. Others will just swallow it all, so care must be taken when deciding what the bottom of your tank will consist of. It is true, in the wild there is gravel and junk that they are living on but, in captivity I don’t want a chance of mine accidentally  injesting substrate.. This can and will cause impactation, so be careful .With this being said you want to then turn your attention to one of the most important if not the key in keeping your Mata Mata happy and healthy, water requirements. I have heard of people just using bottled water for there turtles, and I have heard of people just using rain water for there animals. As long as you can maintain an accurate degree of proper PH, water condition, and temperature you should be fine. I keep my PH in my tanks around 4.5 or 5.0  and the temps range from 82-85 degrees. I have found several products to be very helpful in aiding to condition my tanks and keep the water maintained. I use a product called Tetra Black Water Extract ,witch allows the water to be softened and adds beneficial properties and nutrients in the water. I then add large pieces of peat moss to my canisters and add Indian almond leaves to the tank.. Lastly I incorporate a enzyme to break up organic waste to allow the filter to work more effitant and help with the filtering process this breaks up even more of the waste and helps keep the water very clean.

 

 

 

Feeding

 

Mata Mata turtles rely on a very stealthy and stunning method of feeding.  I remember the first time I saw my adult female eat in front of me. All I can remember is staring in amazement and saying do it again! Turtles will usually wait for a single or a school of unwary fish to approach them and in a lightning fast reaction will extend there neck fully and open there mouth to create a vacuum effect. It usually doesn’t take that long for Mata Mata turtles to begin to feed in captivity. You will start to notice small portions of fish to disappear, and then they will be pretty much not mind letting you watch. A very important area to consider is what to feed. I have never fed my turtles goldfish. I have red in various articles and herd from people that when Goldfish are eaten they invert there back spine to cause damage to the inside of the turtle’s throat. Not to men chin that goldfish do not have the highest nutritional value. I will usually resort to purchasing a couple hundred rosy fish, ciclid fish, minnows or just feed my adults frozen smelt with the proper vitamins included incorporated into there diet( reptomin sticks work fine and yeast tablets).  One of the more interesting aspects of feeding is behavior involved with adults and juviniels. It has been noted and witnessed for adults and juveniles to demonstrate what some refer to as herding behavior. Multiple animals will carrel around a group of fish and slowly pick them off at there ease, this event is quite impressive to watch when there are several large adults or absolutely adorable hatchlings gathering around a collection of fish and wating to slowly select each one off.

 

 

Raising juveniles

 

If you think adult matas are difficult, babies can be a nightmare. First, the majority of all hatchlings that are available are brought into the country in some of the most horrible conditions I have seen. Turtles on turtles some in water some out of water. This is a great time for bacteria and a handful of funguses to set in. Maintaining juveniles is easier said then done. Being that there developing and growing a lot faster they need certain things that are crusial to there well being. Babies will come out of water to bask! My juvenile Peruvian and Orinoco hatchlings will be basking in the shallow areas every morning. It is pretty strange but you would think there sunning would aid in the strengthen of there shells and adding in benifitial transferring of Uv and UVB . There tubs are cleaned and maintained every 7 days. Taking care to always leave some of the exsiting water behind to inshure the proper beneficial bateria is still incorporated in there environment. I also add Indian almond leaves and certain types of drift wood. The leaves and wood release benificaial agents into the water, and will turn the water tan. I would recommend using lots of water plants that cover the surface. This allows the babies to feel more secure and will be more incline to eat and do the things that baby matas do as well as interact with the new objects in there enclosure. Feeding is done 3 times a week. I will usually mix up different things for the little guys to eat. Guppies, rosy reds, baby convict ciclids, ghost shrimp, and little earth worms seam to keep them happy. Some times I will even offer frozen pieces of fish off tongs. The growth rate on babies is amazing. One of my hatchlings literally doubled in size in a 4 month time frame. With all the water checking

 

 

 

and proper feeding you should also be monitoring the health of your babies. Taking them out every couple of days and examining there carapace and plastron for areas were bacteria might develop. These areas might appear ok but when theruly examined look like little holes filled with cheesy material and cracked areas that seam to be covered over. Being that there shells are still very pliable and fragile forming leaves lots of room for problems like shell disorders, shell rot and wearing of scoots to set in. If you do notice these problems accruing I would stress to you to bring them to a qualified turtle vet asap. Sick Matas will still eat for you and will show no real signs of being ill. If you are on top of all of this, then you can fix a problem before it goes down hill. With all of this being said I hope this has helped open some more doors on these truly amazing creatures that I feel very special and privileged to be working with.

 

 

Reproduction:

Although Chelus fimbriatus has been certainly reproduced in captivity. It still is an uncommon event to say the least. There are more captive reproductions reported in Europe as apposed to the U.S for whatever reason. What we do know is that males have an elaborate courting behavior that they exhibit by extending their limbs, lunging the head toward the female with mouth agape, and moving the lateral flaps on the head.  Courting can take place for several minutes to hours. Once female is reseptive copulation will then take place. Nesting occurs from October through December in the Upper Amazon regions. Females will exet the water and dig a deep hole to deposit there eggs/. Clutch size for these turtles range from  12 to 28 eggs wich are spherical, measuring 35 mm (1.4 in) in diameter. Eggs are incubated at temperatures of 29-30°C (84.2-86°F) and 90-100% humidity for around 200-300 days.

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By Ari Flagle

 

Introduction

 

There are more than 300 species of Agamid lizards (family Agamidae). They are found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Many species within this family are called dragons or dragon lizards. An interesting genus within the Agamidae family is Gonocephalus. They are found in Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Borneo, Java and Sumatra. Gonocephalus have a distinctive look due to their cranial shape, thus they are called Angle Head lizards.

 

Classification

 

The genus Gonocephalus is comprised of 17 species:

 

Gonocephalus bellii	Gonocephalus grandis	Gonocephalus megalepis
Gonocephalus beyschlagi	Gonocephalus interruptus	Gonocephalus mjoebergi
Gonocephalus borneensis	Gonocephalus klossi	Gonocephalus robinsonii
Gonocephalus boydii	Gonocephalus kuhlii	Gonocephalus semperi
Gonocephalus chamaeleontinus	Gonocephalus lacunosus	Gonocephalus sophiae
Gonocephalus doriae	Gonocephalus liogaster

 

Gonocephalus chamaeleontinus is a small, tropical, arboreal lizard found in Indonesia and Malaysia. They typically are found close to running water in dense tropical forested areas at 0 – 4,800 ft. (0 – 1,600 m.). This particular species is quite beautiful. Males are adorned with a large head crest with small spikes that follow all the way down to the animal’s tail. They have an impressive gular pouch and a base color of vibrant green accompanied with large bright blue and yellow banding. As with other agamids, they have the ability to change from light to dark depending on their mood and environment. Males typically have bright iridescent blue eyes, and females are similar in appearance but not as brightly colored.

 

Captive Care

 

This lizard species has been imported for the pet trade for years. Unfortunately they have an extremely high mortality rate. Most of this is attributed to dehydration and poor shipping methods. They should be housed in enclosures that are 3 ft. x 3 ft.  x 3 ft. (.9 m. x .9 m. x .9 m.) or larger. I would not recommend keeping more then a 1.2 group of animals in anything smaller. The cage should have several large vertical thick branches as well as a variety of smaller horizontally spaced branches to allow the animals to move freely about the enclosure. A large water dish should be made available daily with fresh water. I like to use a naturalistic substrate of mulch soil and leaf litter.

 

Daytime temperatures should not exceed 85° F. (29° C.). A basking site of 90° F. (32° C.) can be provided for brief periods of the day. Nighttime temperatures should not fall much below 68° – 70° F. (20 – 21° C.). I prefer keeping the species a little cooler (day: 78°, night: 68.5°) with humidity at 70-85%. Frequent misting is highly recommended since the species can dehydrate extremely fast in captivity.

 

Lighting

 

I recommend using a UV light source in the enclosure. Since these are both arboreal and diurnal, they most likely have high UV requirements. In the wild though, their activity has been noted to be more crepuscular (active primarily during twilight), but they still will benefit from having this additional light source. I really trust the Zoo Med brand UV lights and would recommend this brand. As far as heat goes, I would provide two separate heat sources such as two 75 watt bulbs placed in the enclosure so as to provide multiple basking areas.

 

Diet

 

These small, forest dwelling lizards feed primarily on insects. In captivity, crickets, horned worms, wax worms, roaches, and earthworms are a great variety of insects that can be offered. Vitamin dusting all food is recommended. On occasion pink mice can be offered as well.

 

Reproduction

 

This area is still very misunderstood. The animals seem to fare well in 1.2 groups. Males will court females by excessive head bobbing and inflating their gular pouches. This is then followed by a submissive hand waving behavior by the female. Shortly after this, the male will approach the female and give slight bites on the neck area and then begin to copulate. This can last for several minutes to intermittently for days depending upon the individuals and the conditions.

 

If copulation is successful, eggs will be laid within 30 days. A large area filled with a mixture of soil leaf litter and sand can make a suitable nesting site. For some reason this species has  reproductive complications in captivity with females either dying from impaction or having difficulty passing their eggs when depositing. I would provide several large areas for nesting so the female can choose a preferred nesting site. Females will lay a clutch of 1-4 eggs. I recommend incubating the eggs within two parts vermiculite to one part water at 73° – 77° F. (23° – 25° C) for 80-100 days. Babies should be removed and kept in a separate enclosure to make sure they are feeding and drinking on their own. You might need to mist more frequently to ensure that they are adequately hydrated. Offer them small crickets and worms every few days.

 

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Theloderma corticale

 

by Ari Flagle

 

 

 

Introduction

 

I remember it now – sleeping in a dirty little motel room in Daytona Beach, counting the minutes before Hurricane Charlie would hit the motel, and thinking, “Man, the things I do for reptiles!” I just wanted it to be morning already. Well, the evening was filled with loud crashes, bangs and occasional screams. I remember heading to the Conference Center the next morning to the National Reptile Breeders Expo and walking over fallen street signs, broken glass, and tons of beach debris. “Well, I made it,” I was thinking. I hope this show is a good one. Every show I’ve been to has had something worth the jet lag and bizarre travel situations.

 

I was walking past tables and tables of venders and people. Then I came to a booth that had a particularly interesting enclosure in it. “Just moss. Where’s the creature?” I was thinking. As I scanned the cage back and forth, and top to bottom, I noticed a pair of large eyes. What in the world could it be? I had only heard about this bizarre amphibian and had never actually seen one in the flesh. It was Theloderma corticale, the Vietnamese Mossy Frog, and man, was it sweet. “Just like the moss!” I yelled.

 

I quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard me yell out loud. Once I held the frog, I was hooked. Within the last year this bizarre semi-arboreal tree frog has rapidly made its way into the herpetological field and pet trade. Only recently has it been affordable to buy. It fares extremely well in captivity, and it seems to be quite hardy even for the novice amphibian keeper.

 

Description

 

The Vietnamese Mossy Frog belongs to the family Rhacophoridae, which consists of about 10 species: Theloderma asperum (Boulenger, 1886), Theloderma bicolor (Bouret, 1937), Theloderma corticale (Boulenger, 1903), Theloderma gordoni (Taylor,1962), Theloderma horridum (Boulenger, 1903), Theloderma Kwangsiense (Liu & Hu, 1962), Theloderma leporosum (Tschudi, 1838), Theloderma phrynoderma (Ahl, 1927), Theloderma schmarda (Kelaart, 1853), and Theloderma stellatum (Taylor, 1962).

 

This medium-sized frog grows to a length of 2.5 – 4 in. (6.4 – 10 cm.) Its most notable characteristic is its rough knobby appearance and cryptic camouflage coloration ranging from bright greens and tans to shades of white underlining the flanks and purple along its back. Being a tree frog, it is equipped with large suction cup-like toe pads that allow it to easily cling to practically any surface. It’s active mainly at night, and it has large colorful eyes and vertical pupils that allow for amazing vision in the dark.

 

Males are characteristically identified by a large bony projection (nuptial padding) at the base of their thumbs as well as their relatively loud call. Females entirely lack the nuptial padding. Some females tend to be larger than males. This animal’s coloration and appearance help provide it with amazing camouflage. The Vietnamese mossy frog is found throughout Northern Vietnam at an elevation of around 2,300 – 4,900 ft. (700 – 1500 m.).

 

Captive Care

 

I keep adults and juveniles in very similar habitats. The only main difference is the size of the enclosure. I usually keep no more than three frogs in one enclosure. This way it is not too difficult for them to compete for food and space. This species grows extremely fast, almost doubling in size every other month. I keep juveniles in 20 gallon aquariums and adults in 30-40 gallon aquariums. In my opinion, the key to successfully maintaining these frogs is to provide them with constant access to clean, moving water.

 

By this I mean that the enclosures are filled about 3-4 in. (8-10 cm.) deep with water. These frogs are extremely aquatic and are constantly around the water or submerged in it. I treat the water with a softening agent that stains the water slightly tan. I also use spring water and never remove all of the old water if water changes are needed. I have heard that taking out all of the old water can remove the beneficial bacteria from the environment, which can cause the frogs to die. Water filtration is a very important area to consider. I use a small submersible filter that cleans the water and circulates it constantly, which provides water movement that the frogs seem to enjoy.

 

I create a large bank where the frogs can venture out of the water and hunt for food at night. I use small river rocks, stacked so that they slope from one end of the tank to the other end. Then I place large amounts of New Zealand sphagnum moss on top of that. In this way the frogs will have both a moist area and a drier area to venture onto. I also provide several larger stones that protrude out of the water as well as plenty of Pothos plants and several cork tubes. This gives the frogs a more natural setting to interact with.

 

Lighting and Temperature

 

When considering lighting for this amphibian species, I use a low light with a relatively high ultraviolet output. Consider the area that these frogs inhabit. It’s not overly bright but significant ultraviolet lighting does penetrate to the animals. This is the same for adults and juveniles. I set my timers for 12 hrs on and 12 hrs off depending on the season of course. I also provide a light misting after turning the light on and again after turning the light off. This isn’t really necessary since these frogs live so close to water, but I prefer to do so for the plants as well. I maintain all of my Mossy frogs in one area that stays around 72°-76 ° F. (22°-24° C.) during the day and around 69°-70° F. (20°-21° C.) at night. I do not recommend allowing the temperature within the aquarium to go above 80° F. (27° C.).

 

 

 

 

Feeding

 

Mossy frogs are insectivores and in captivity they primarily should be fed crickets. They also will accept wax worms from your hand. I offer appropriately-sized crickets, vitamin dusted, every 2-3 days. These frogs are nocturnal, so I usually wait for about an hour after the lights go off to offer them food. I provide them with food every other day.

 

Handling / Conclusion

 

Ok, they are awesome looking, but I don’t really recommend handling this species for several reasons. Firstly, they seem to get stressed easily when disturbed in and out of their enclosure, and they will actually play dead if they are constantly messed with. Secondly, they jump very fast and far, so you don’t really want to be chasing a Mossy frog throughout your home. And finally, they are fairly delicate in my opinion, and you would not want to risk injuring the animal if it was startled and tried to retreat from you. It is best to admire them in their enclosure. If you take the previously described recommendations for their enclosure and care, these truly beautiful frogs will flourish and will provide you much enjoyment with their unique appearance and interesting calls.

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