In a previous post earlier this year, I mentioned that the movie director Miguel Angel Rossi suggested that the "Lake Monster" of Lake Nahuel Huapi was probably a turtle and I listed different species found in Argentina, none of which live in Patgonia due to the low temperatures. However, looking into the matter I found several references on these animals in the Patagonian rivers.
In August 2016, (Source), a freshwater turtle was photographed swimming in the Rio Negro River at Paso Córdoba (Google map), Pablo Chafrat, from the Museo Patagónico de Ciencias Naturales, a museum in the neighboring city of General Roca said that it could be an "exotic" turtle that someone bought and then grew tired of it, discarding it in the river. Below is a picture of the animal.
An article published in May 2019 reported finding a turtle (Phrynops Hilarii) in the Plottier irrigation channel during works on it. This irrigation system takes water from the Limay River. After draining it, they checked for any fish that may have become stranded, to capture them and place them back in the Limay River. They found a turtle which was rescued ant taken to the local fish-stocking station. It is pictured below.
The director of the fish-stocking station of Plottier, Jorge Figuolo said that the animal was checked by a veterinarian to make sure it was healthy, adding that its habitat is the Paraná River basin, and that they would return it to that area as they don't believe it could adapt to the cold water in Neuquén. They couldn't understand how it found its way into the irrigation channel (see the location on google maps). This spot is 58 km (35 mi.) upstream from Paso Córdoba.
A second turtle was found by a fisherman in Dec. 2023, 15km - 9 mi. east of Plottier, in the waters of Duran Creek (Source, with video), it was also identified as a Phrynops hilarii specimen. This spot is not far from Plottier, and is actually a branch of the Limay River (Map with location). The same explanation was given: a pet that was returned to the wild.
In Dec. 2024, the media reported (see video) a turle at Paso Córdoba (was it the same one spotted in 2016?) and again the fact that it was an exotic animal was mentioned. The turtle in the video looks well adapted to its habitat! See its picture below.
The facebook page of the Reserva Ecológica Plottier (Plottier Ecological Reserve) mentions several sightings in the area, not only the one mentioned in 2019, but others: Jan. 2025, and the turtle was left where it was found. The post says that these animals are now part of the local fauna. It also has a picture from Nov. 2022, a sighting in 2018 and another at Santa Helena Lagoon in the Plottier botanical gardens.
So, are these native creatures that had gone on undetected until now, or were they brought to the Neuquén, Limay, and Negro rivers area as pets from another place outside of Patagonia, and then set free in the environment? By the way, they seem to be thriving in the area, despite the cold winter temperatures.
Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia Copyright 2009-2025 by Austin Whittall ©
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