Florida Softshell Turtle

Apalone ferox

The Florida Softshell Turtle is a unique turtle with a soft, leathery shell instead of a hard one. They are great swimmers and love to bask in the sun on warm days.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Florida Softshell Turtle has a remarkably flat, leathery, olive-brown to dark green-grey shell, not hard like typical turtles. Its long, snorkel-like snout and fully webbed feet make it visually distinct from other freshwater turtles.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassTestudinesOrderTestudinesFamilyTrionychidaeGenusApalone

Florida Softshell Turtle

Interesting facts

Female Florida Softshells grow much bigger than the males!

Some can breathe underwater using special lining in their throat!

These turtles can be surprisingly aggressive if they feel threatened!

They often hide completely under sand with only their eyes showing!

Special abilities

Florida Softshell Turtle can swim incredibly fast because of its flat, lightweight shell and strong, webbed feet.

Florida Softshell Turtle can bury itself quickly in mud or sand that helps them ambush prey and hide from predators.

Florida Softshell Turtle has powerful jaws and a sharp beak that helps them easily crush the shells of snails and crayfish.

Measurements & details

Length: 15-76 cm
Weight: 0.5-20 kg
Lifespan: 20-30 years
Top Speed: 5 km/h
Swim Speed: 24 km/h
Clutch Size: 4-38
Incubation: 60-90 days
Maximum Depth: 10 m

Diet & Feeding

This opportunistic omnivore munches on fish, insects, crustaceans, frogs, and sometimes plants it finds underwater.

Age differences: Young turtles eat more insects, while adults have a broader diet that includes more fish and crustaceans.

Primary Foods

fish
crayfish
aquatic insects
frogs
aquatic plants

Foraging Method

Ambush

Ecological connections

eaten by

American Alligator

Alligator mississippiensis

Young turtles are often prey for this large reptile.

eats

Mosquitofish

Gambusia holbrooki

Actively hunts and eats small fish like mosquitofish.

eats

Red Swamp Crayfish

Procambarus clarkii

Crushes the shells of these crustaceans with strong jaws.

eats

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

Ambush predator that often catches this common freshwater fish.

Traits

Webbed Feet

Characterized by having toes connected by a membrane, typically aiding in swimming.

Omnivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.

Piscivorous

Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.