RIO BRANCO, BRAZIL - Farmer Larissa Cristina Telocken, 32, had an unusual encounter when she spotted a mata mata turtle (Chelus fimbriatus), known for its distinctive appearance, crossing a stretch of the BR-317 highway in Sena Madureira, Acre state, in the Brazilian Amazon.

Telocken said she initially thought the animal was a tortoise but quickly realized something was different.

"I glanced over and told my husband, 'I think there's a tortoise on the highway, but it looks different. Its shell seems pointed.' When we turned back, I thought, 'What kind of strange animal is this?'" she said.

The encounter took place on June 23 as the couple was traveling to Rio Branco, the state capital. The video was later shared on social media, where it attracted nearly 50,000 views.

In the footage, the farmer appears surprised by the animal's unusual appearance while her husband uses a branch to gently move the reptile off the road and toward a nearby stream.

Concerned that the turtle could be hit by a vehicle, the couple decided to help.

"We moved it off the road, even though we had no idea what it was," she added.

According to biologist, herpetologist and Federal University of Acre (Ufac) professor Moisés Barbosa de Souza, the mata mata is a freshwater turtle species native to the Amazon and poses no threat to humans.

Amazon Agency