Spiny Softshell Turtles have soft, smooth rounded carapaces without scutes.
Softshell turtle, (family Trionychidae), any of about 30 turtle species characterized by a flattened shell. The Spiny Softshell Turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtles in North America. OUR DATA: We use the most recent data from these primary sources: AnAge, UMICH, Max Planck, PanTHERIA, Arkive, UKC, AKC. It has small flexible cone-shaped spines on the edge of the carapace.
Smooth softshell turtles are the most aquatic of all North American softshells.
Geographic range They are the largest of the New World softshell turtles with the most Old World characteristics of the Old World, like its longitudinally wrinkled carapace, tolerance for brackish water, and relatively large size. The species is endemic to North America . The juveniles also face a threat from large fish, crows, alligators, bald eagles and water snakes. The underside (plastron) is whitish or yellow.
The spiny softshell turtle is the most widely ranging and variably patterned of our softshells.
Water exchange in freshwater is typically 6.3 mL/100g wet BM/hour.
The Florida Softshell Turtle is the biggest of all of the North American Softshell Turtles.
Image credits: Richard A McMillin/Shutterstock. The shell lacks the epidermal scutes (large scales) characteristic of most turtles, as in the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), and the bony architecture of the shell is reduced. Description: Like other softshells, the Florida softshell turtle (Apalone ferox) is a large, flat turtle with skin covering its shell (resembling a pancake). The African Softshell Turtle (Trionyx triunguis ), or Nile softshell turtle, is a large species of turtle from fresh-water and brackish habitats in Africa (larger parts of East, West and Middle Africa) and the Near East (Israel, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey). Discover How Long African softshell turtle Lives. … Size: Up to 19 inches with males larger than females. Anyway, A. ferox is a mid-sized softshell (carapace length 15-60 cm, with females being larger) from freshwater habitats of the southeastern USA. American Snapping Turtle Geographical Region: They are found from south Alberta to Nova Scotia and south to the Gulf of Mexico. … These predators often destroy the nests and feast on the young turtles. The nests of the spiny softshell turtles are raided by skunks, raccoons and foxes. Spiny Softshell Turtle. The smooth softshell turtle (Apalone mutica) is a species of softshell turtle of the family Trionychidae. The shell of a Florida Softshell Turtle will be smooth, as well as soft along the edge.
Focal Species: Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)Suwannee Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys suwanniensis)North American Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)Florida Softshell Turtle (Apalone ferox)Guadalupe Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera guadalupensis)Pallid Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera pallida)Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera) The skin covering the shell causes a high rate of water exchange. Weight: Up to 45 pounds for wild adults; up to 75 pounds for captive adults. The snout is long, pointed and upturned at the end. Females commonly attain a carapace length of from 7 to 12 inches and occasionally grow to 16 inches. It varies in size with males measuring from 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) and females measuring double that at 11-24 inches (28-61 cm).
Like the other species, the spiny is dimorphic. Their aquatic nature is made possible by a variety of behavioral and morphological adaptations. It is the bulkiest of the softshell turtles but inhabits the smallest range. The Florida Softshell Turtle is a species of American freshwater turtles, and is one of the 26 species of turtles found in Florida. It has two yellow striped with black borders along the neck.
Females can grow as large as 24”, while males will be about half the size of females, growing to about 12”. The shell is covered in leathery skin. Spiny softshell turtle eaten by american alligator, Brazos Bend Park, Texas?