Life History
Platemys platycephala young or hatchlings typically resemble parents except for brighter coloration. Twist-necked hatchlings measure around 4–6 cm in carapace length and about 20 g or 0.04 lbs. Mating typically occurs during the rainy season of the Amazon rainforest (late March to early December). Males follow females, mount from behind, then proceed to rub their chin barbels (fleshy filament) against the top of females’ head. Some authors also report violent biting and water expulsion from the males nostrils during copulation. Coupling has been observed on land or in water and usually occurs late in the afternoon or at night. Oviposition comes during the dry season (late December to early March) when the female deposits a large, oval egg (around 5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide). Many herpetologists report females depositing another egg a couple of weeks later while some recreational collectors report multiple eggs at a time. Shallow indentations are made to deposit eggs and then lightly covered by sand and/or leaf litter.
Read more about this topic: Twist-necked Turtle
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