Amazon River Turtle

Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtles live along river beds in the Amazon Rainforest. Their webbed feet and smooth shells help them to swim through rivers and their large mouths help them eat a wide range of foods such as small plants, fish, and invertebrates. But as the Amazon rainforest slowly becomes savanna due to climate change, the turtles will need to walk longer distances on land, which could cause them to develop stronger, sturdier legs and lose their webbing. They will also need to protect themselves from larger land predators, and since they won’t be able to move as quickly outside of the water, they may develop larger, more dome-shaped shells for better defense against predators. Additionally, less humidity-loving leafy forest plants will be available, and instead there will be more woody shrubs, which require a stronger beak to eat.