Viewed from above, the head is a broad triangle in shape with a very long, slender snout forming one tip of the triangle. These loose tufts drift and sway with any current in the water or movement of the turtle, making the turtle appear as if it was covered with weeds or algae. In adults the carapace is usually black or brown with some orange color, while the plastron ranges in color from a light yellow to a deeper brown shade. Each individual scute can be fairly rough in appearance, due to the way that the scute grows. All of the physical features of the Matamata aid it in its natural environment.
Algae grows on the roughened carapace, causing it to look like an old, encrusted rock.
The tufts and fringes along the neck and head may act as a type of camouflage, breaking up the turtle's outline to further disguise it. There is some debate as to whether or not the flaps of skin also serve as sensory mechanisms to allow the turtle to detect nearby movement. Finally, the color of its shell and skin allows the Matamata to blend in to its surroundings. The use of camouflage and disguise gives the Matamata the chance to take full advantage of its environment in hunting for food. The Matamata inhabits muddy, sometimes stagnant, shallow pools and streams in northern South America, where it ranges as far west as Ecuador and Peru, as far south as Bolivia and central Brazil, and as far north as Colombia and Venezuela.