AHB Series 8 – Orinoco Matamata – Chelus orinocensis | Turtle

A NEW SPECIES, 2020 · the Orinoco’s own

A Series of Laugh and Grow

Real animals, reimagined plump and cheerful — painted in lifelike detail, sculpted impossibly cute.

Chubby & Full of Character

Rounded, soft and undeniably cute — yet every scale, wrinkle and marking is hand-painted true to the real animal. The reaction it gets in person is always the same: so detailed, and so adorable.

Ready to Display

A single, sturdy hand-painted piece — no assembly, no fuss. Set it on a desk or shelf and it holds its happy pose, ready to collect and show off.

Hidden in Plain Sight

Despite being one of the world’s most recognizable turtles, the matamata hid a secret: the Orinoco population is genetically distinct enough to be a separate species, only formally described in 2020.

Subtly Its Own

The Orinoco matamata tends toward a rounder, differently proportioned shell and distinct coloring compared to the Amazon form — small differences that mark a lineage apart.

The Same Uncanny Hunter

It shares the family’s trademarks: a flattened leaf-shaped head, ragged skin fringes, a snorkel nose, and the explosive vacuum strike that swallows fish whole.

A Reminder of How Much We’re Still Learning

That such a large, famous animal held an unrecognized species until 2020 is a reminder of how many secrets rivers still keep — captured here in one delightfully odd figure.