Paleontologists Discover Largest Turtle Ever Found, Massive Shell Dating Back 10 Million Years
Swiss scientists have been studying the remains of a newly discovered species, claiming it is 'the largest turtle ever,' dating back 1000 years and once roaming the swamps of what is now Colombia.
According to a Daily Mail report on February 13, this 'largest turtle ever' weighed over a ton and had an octagonal shell about 8 feet long (2.5 meters), possibly used for combat against other turtles a million years ago.
Researchers say the discovery of several giant turtles' remains in Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia helps better understand this large reptile. Researchers say it had a shell-like armor that could be used to fight for mates or food.
It is known that this giant turtle lived in a region of South America, like a lost world, where there were various weird and wonderful oversized creatures, including giant rats and short-nosed alligators. Most of the remains were found in La Venta, a 'zoo of animals' in the Colombian Tatacoa Desert.
This giant turtle weighed over a ton, and its shell extended to less than 8 feet, almost twice the size of its closest modern relative, the Amazon River turtle.
Although they have not yet confirmed the total length of the turtle, including its head and legs, this now-extinct animal is considered the largest land turtle ever.
