Williams' South-American Side-necked Turtle
Williams' South-American Side-necked TurtleWilliams' South-American Side-necked Turtle

Williams' South-American Side-necked Turtle

Phrynops williamsi

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
30–40% · Possible
overall probability at Iguazú National Park
107 Verified records at Iguazú National Park
August Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

Phrynops williamsi, also known commonly as Williams' side-necked turtle, Williams' South American sideneck turtle, William's [sic] South American side-necked turtle, William's [sic] toadhead turtle, and Williams' toadhead turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Chelidae. The species is endemic to South America. Wikipedia →

30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Williams' South-American Side-necked Turtle sighting in Iguazú National Park, based on 107 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Iguazú National Park

Geoffroy’s Side-necked Turtle

Geoffroy’s Side-necked Turtle

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Phrynops geoffroanus

10–20% · With luck
South-American Snake-headed Turtle

South-American Snake-headed Turtle

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Hydromedusa tectifera

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

20–30
Jan
30–40
Feb
20–30
Mar
20–30
Apr
30–40
May
30–40
Jun
30–40
Jul
50–60
Aug
20–30
Sep
30–40
Oct
20–30
Nov
40–50
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
30–40%
2 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
20–30%

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Williams' South-American Side-necked Turtle in Iguazú National Park?

About 35% of wildlife watchers report a Williams' South-American Side-necked Turtle sighting in Iguazú National Park, based on 107 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Williams' South-American Side-necked Turtle in Iguazú National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for Williams' South-American Side-necked Turtle in Iguazú National Park in our monthly data.

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