Spiny Softshell Turtle

Apalone spinifera

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The spiny softshell turtle has a shell covered in leathery skin rather than horny scutes, with small spines along the front edge. It is as flat as a pancake, extremely fast in the water and able to run over land with notable agility. It buries itself in the sand of the bottom leaving only its tubular snout exposed, which it uses as a snorkel.

Weight

500 g – 15 kg

Size

13 cm – 54 cm

Lifespan

25 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

FreshwaterCarnivore Diurnal Solitary Reptile Freshwater

3countries 28parks 7dive sites1same family

Fun facts

It breathes through its skin and its throat: it can absorb oxygen straight from the water through the skin of its shell and the lining of its pharynx, which lets it stay submerged for hours without surfacing.
It buries itself in the sand of the bottom until completely hidden and stretches its neck to bring out only the tip of its tubular snout, which works as a snorkel.
It is one of the fastest turtles in the world both in water and on land, and bites in earnest if handled: its neck is extremely long and reaches almost any point on its own shell.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton with a shell (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Rivers, lakes and canals with sandy bottoms in central and eastern North America
Sexual maturity: 9 years
Gestation / incubation: 80 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 20 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apalone_spinifera