Description: The Florida softshell turtle is a large turtle with a flattened, pancake-like body, a long neck, an elongated head with a long snorkel-like nose, and large webbed feet, each with three claws. While most turtles have hard shells composed of scutes, the Florida softshell has a cartilaginous carapace covered in leathery skin. Ranging from olive green to dark brown, it has the darkest coloration of all the softshell species that inhabit Florida (other species include Apalone mutica calvata and Apalone spinifera aspera). It is also characterized by a white or cream-colored underside. This color pattern is known as countershading and is a form of camouflage to conceal turtles from potential predators.[13] It is also the largest species of softshell turtle found in Florida and all of North America, ranging from 5.9 to 29.9 inches in length. The Florida softshell also exhibits significant sexual size dimorphism. Adult females are often 3-5x larger than males. Males have a carapace length and body weight averaging about 14 inches and 5.9 lbs. respectively. Nesting adult females were found to average 14.7 lbs. in weight and measure 15.8 inches in carapace length, with the record weight documented at 96 lbs. However, males tend to have longer tails than their female counterparts (1.15 inches longer than a female of the same size). Hatchlings have a lighter carapace with yellow and orange markings and a carapacial rim. Stripes in the same color are also found on the face and neck. Their plastron is generally dark in color. As the turtle ages, these colors fade and are lost, resulting in the dark-brown coloration characteristic of adults.

Habitat: The Florida softshell turtle is a widespread species and occupies almost every freshwater habitat, even tolerating some brackish environments; however, it is not often found in water with strong currents, preferring habitats with slow-moving or still water. These different habitats include swamps, lakes, marshes, wet prairies, small rivers, creeks, and even ponds formed in man-made ditches or sinkholes.

Range: The Florida softshell turtle is found primarily in the state of Florida, but it also ranges to southern sections of South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.[6] It is the only species of softshell turtle whose range spans the entire Florida peninsula.[7] They are native to the southeastern United States. Out of the Trionychidae family, the Florida softshell occupies the smallest range

Found in these States: AL | CA | FL | GA | LA | SC

Diet: The Florida softshells are carnivores with their main diet consisting of small snails and fish. They also eat amphibians, insects, and mollusks and some waterfowl. These turtles will hunt, chase, and scavenge for prey.

Reproduction: The reproductive cycle of male Florida softshell turtles follows a postnuptial pattern, with a cycle of spring mating followed by spermatogenesis in the fall. The male will produce sperm during the fall and store that sperm in the epididymides through the winter. This stored sperm can then be utilized for copulation during the following spring mating season. Evidence suggests that they undergo spermatogenesis every year. Males of this species reach sexual maturity at small sizes, allowing them to begin reproducing quickly following birth. This implies that some males may be able to reproduce as young as two years of age.

While males consistently reach sexual maturity at small sizes, that size is larger and more variable in females. Some may reach maturity at a plastron length of 9.5 inches, and others may not mature until they reach a length closer to 12 inches. The onset of sexual maturity will occur anywhere from 5 to 8 years of age. The female nesting season can range anywhere from early April to early August, and incubation lasts an average of 60 to 90 days. In a study examining female reproduction, almost 10% of the females examined in a single breeding season showed signs of inactive ovaries, implying that, unlike males, females may not possess the ability to reproduce every year. Florida softshell females have the ability to produce an average of 4 to 5 egg clutches in a single breeding season, potentially producing a new clutch every three weeks. Florida softshell turtles have one of the highest annual egg production rates of any reptile. The study previously mentioned showed an average of over 20 eggs per clutch, with the largest clutch containing 38 eggs.

Status: Florida softshell turtles remain common in many parts of their range, but populations are locally threatened due to habitat destruction and heavy harvesting. Despite large numbers removed from the wild in some places, Florida softshell turtles remain common in refuge areas and other areas less subject to harvest; their dispersal abilities may allow them to repopulate over-harvested or isolated habitats. Softshell turtles (Apalone) are sensitive to rotenone, a poison often used to collect and survey fish for population studies. Florida softshell turtles are subject to harvest regulations in states where they occur, but are not yet considered to be endangered or threatened on any Federal or State list. They are a Species of Concern in South Carolina. Unusual among turtles in general, Florida softshell turtles may be able to sustain a regulated harvest, and thus take pressure off more sensitive species.

Subspecies: None

Taxonomy: