Video of big fat turtle named ‘Chonkosaurus’ basking on Chicago river goes viral

Gulf Today Report

Thanks to Jurassic Park, we have become familiar with the terms Tyrannosaurus, Brachiosaurus and Spinosaurus. But have you heard of Chonkosaurus? Well, that is not the name of a new dinosaur if that’s what you are thinking. It is the name given by a kayaker in Chicago to a giant turtle chilling out on a waterway.

He was simply amazed by its size and called it Chonkosaurus.

The man, Joey Santore, spotted the turtle when he was kayaking with a friend along the Chicago River last weekend. The creature was stretching across what looked like rotting logs.

According to the Associated Press, he instantly posted a video of the sighting.
The turtle was displaying folds of flesh extending well beyond its shell.

"Look at this guy. We got a picture of this most beautiful sight. Look at the size of that ... thing," he says, using an expletive. "Look at that beast. Hey, how ya doing guy? You look good. You're healthy.”

A chief wildlife biologist said the turtle was a rare species, and it was quite unusual for such animals to be basking along rivers.