Description

The soft shell (bony part) is substantially different in a soft-shelled turtle from that of a "normal" turtle. The peripheral bones are gone or reduced in number, allowing the leathery edges of the shell to "flap". The plastron is cartilaginous or incompletely ossified. The turtles are covered by a leathery skin, not scutes. The shell is low in profile and round in outline (adults generally have a more elongated shape). The feet are highly webbed and three-clawed (hence the tri in Trionyx). The head and neck are withdrawn into the shell with vertical bends as with other Cryptodiroidea. The neck is quite long and the head narrow with a double-barreled proboscis for a nose. The long nose is excellent for snorkeling and "sniffing" amongst cracks and crevices for food.

The Florida Soft-Shell is the largest of the New World soft-shell turtles (which are all believed to have originated in the Old World) and has the most Old World characteristics such as: relatively large size, tolerance for brackish water and longitudinally wrinkled carapace. The young Florida soft-shell is olive-yellowish in color with large gray spots, yellow and orange markings on the head and a yellowish border around the carapace, (perhaps the most beautiful of the North American "softies"). These juvenile markings are mostly lost with age. Adults are brown-gray sometimes showing traces of the juvenile markings. The plastron of the juveniles is a beautiful slate-gray.

The Spiny Soft-Shell has a brownish/olive background color to its carapace with many variations of darker markings and ocelli on the Eastern specimens and white spots on the Western specimens, dependent upon subspecies. The spiny soft-shell gets its name from the cone like projections on the leading edge of its carapace.

The Smooth Soft-Shell gets its name because to a large degree it lacks the spiny protuberances of its relative. Smooth soft-shells have faint markings as juveniles on a tan carapace with light colored markings on the side of the head. Adults often develop a darker mottled brown color on the carapace. Plastrons of smooth soft-shells are very light or white in color with visible callosities.

Soft-shell turtles are believed to breathe anally and pharyngeally as well as "normally". This means that there is direct oxygen transfer through highly vascular papillae in the turtles throat and anus. Continuous movement of the hyoid bone (in the throat) pumps water over the vascular tissues somewhat like the action of gills in fish. This appears externally in the continual swallowing movements observed in soft shells while submerged.

Distribution

There are soft-shell turtles in North America, Asia and Africa. In North America, Iverson recognizes three species and 9 subspecies: two in Apalone mutica; seven in Apalone spinifera; and no subspecies in Apalone ferox. The Florida soft-shell, Apalone ferox, resides in South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and of course Florida. The smooth soft-shell turtle, Apalone mutica, can be found throughout the entire central USA. The spiny soft-shell turtle, Apalone spinifera, is distributed throughout most of the USA and northern Mexico with the exception of the northwestern US.

Wild Habits & Food

In the wild soft-shell turtles inhabit all types of waters and waterways, from streams and rivers to lakes ponds and sloughs. They spend most of their time in the water or buried in the substrate at the bottom. They burrow into the mud or sand and extend their long neck to the surface for air or ambush passing fish from hiding. They bask on the banks of their water homes but rarely if ever on logs, rocks or each other (unlike many of our harder shelled buddies!). They can move extremely quickly in water or on land. In fact, they are probably the fastest turtles on land. They eat just about anything you find in the water, including but not limited to: fish, snails, insects, amphibians, carrion, crayfish and some plant material. They lay from 4 to 33 hard spherical eggs, about 1"-1.2" in diameter, depending on size, species and range. Some larger adults have been found to exhibit greatly enlarged jaw surfaces perhaps indicating a preference for mollusks.

Captive Husbandry

If you plan to keep soft-shell turtles indoors, plan on a big aquarium and filter system, frequent water changes or filthy water! These guys are messy. They are active and strong enough to move most aquarium "furniture" and undermine anything and everything as they attempt to burrow into the substrate. They grow fairly quickly because they get most of the food in community settings. We have moved all of ours outside and they have flourished. Soft-shell turtles are very susceptible to shell rot and fungal infections on both plastron and carapace, especially in community settings indoors. Minor scratches turn into life threatening infections. If you buy a soft-shell turtle make sure its shell is flawless both top and bottom. Fighting the infections, once started, is very difficult and frustrating. Giving an injection to an unwilling soft-shell turtle redefines challenging. Prevention is the key here. We have found that sunshine, fresh air and space are the best preventatives. Wounds seem to heal themselves outdoors.