Peruvian Fossil Reveals Record-Breaking Size for Extinct Freshwater Turtle
A newly described fossil shell from Peru identifies Chelus colombiana as one of the largest freshwater turtles ever known, with a specimen measuring 84.6 cm and estimated to weigh 65 kg. This discovery extends the species' range to the Pebas wetland system and highlights a pattern of gigantism in Miocene South American turtles.