Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle
Apalone spinifera spinifera
Natural History:
The Spiny Softshell is found in remote river systems in southern Ontario and much of the eastern United States. They prefer to live in rivers where they can hide in the river bed and be able to catch fish battling the current. Softshell Turtles get their name from the leathery pancake shaped shell that is unlike any other turtle. The carapace of the Spiny Softshell feels rough almost like sandpaper to the touch. The shell of these turtles enables them to burry themselves in the river bed while remaining completely camouflaged as the shell's pattern often resembles the sand or clay at the bottom of the river. the flat shell also helps the turtle become more hydrodynamic, allowing it to swim faster when in fast moving water.
Unlike most turtles, the softshell turtle is rather fast on land as they do not have the burden of a heavy shell. Because they are not able to hide in their shell like most other turtles, softshell turtles have to defend themselves in other ways such as their speed and their habit of biting if handled like Snapping Turtles.
The leather-like skin of the softshell turtle allows for oxygen to be absorbed directly from the water which cannot be as easily done with thick scales and carapace. The softshell turtle also has specialized gill like structures in their cloaca which also aid in absorbing oxygen from the water, allowing the turtles to breath underwater. This also however makes them more susceptible to pollution and chemical changes in the water which can cause health issues and a higher than natural mortality rate.
Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtles show sexual dimorphism where the male and female exhibit different physical traits. The males are much smaller then the female and are light with dark spots in some areas while the females are dark and are twice the size as the males. Despite shell colouration and pattern, both the male and female have a yellow stripe running down their neck.
The Spiny Softshell is found in remote river systems in southern Ontario and much of the eastern United States. They prefer to live in rivers where they can hide in the river bed and be able to catch fish battling the current. Softshell Turtles get their name from the leathery pancake shaped shell that is unlike any other turtle. The carapace of the Spiny Softshell feels rough almost like sandpaper to the touch. The shell of these turtles enables them to burry themselves in the river bed while remaining completely camouflaged as the shell's pattern often resembles the sand or clay at the bottom of the river. the flat shell also helps the turtle become more hydrodynamic, allowing it to swim faster when in fast moving water.
Unlike most turtles, the softshell turtle is rather fast on land as they do not have the burden of a heavy shell. Because they are not able to hide in their shell like most other turtles, softshell turtles have to defend themselves in other ways such as their speed and their habit of biting if handled like Snapping Turtles.
The leather-like skin of the softshell turtle allows for oxygen to be absorbed directly from the water which cannot be as easily done with thick scales and carapace. The softshell turtle also has specialized gill like structures in their cloaca which also aid in absorbing oxygen from the water, allowing the turtles to breath underwater. This also however makes them more susceptible to pollution and chemical changes in the water which can cause health issues and a higher than natural mortality rate.
Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtles show sexual dimorphism where the male and female exhibit different physical traits. The males are much smaller then the female and are light with dark spots in some areas while the females are dark and are twice the size as the males. Despite shell colouration and pattern, both the male and female have a yellow stripe running down their neck.