The matamata, a South American turtle, has a bossed carapace that resembles a lump of dead, waterlogged wood. The flaps of tissue that dangle from its head and neck look like inviting scraps of food to the small denizens of the unruffled tropical waters where the matamata lives. The inquisitive amphibians or fish do not discover their mistake until it is too late. In spite of its grotesquely flattened head, the matamata has huge if feeble jaws and a greatly distensible throat. It sucks in a huge volume of water, bearing any nearby small animals irresistibly with it. |
