Florida Softshell Turtle

Description:

The Florida softshell is the largest of the New World softshell 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 softshell is olive-yellowish in color with large gray spots, yellow and orange markings on the head, and a yellowish border around the carapace. 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 slate-gray. These turtles look like big leathery pancakes. The adults are brownish-green or tan with blotches on their skin. Their shells are covered with skin, and are soft around the edges. Their noses are long and round. When they swim, they stay underwater and stick their nose up to breathe, like a snorkel. Their feet are webbed and their necks are quite long. The females are much bigger than the males. Females may reach up to 24 inches (61 cm) long and males usually grow to only 12 inches (30 cm). Softshell turtles can be very aggressive, and they sometimes bite each other and turtles of other species spontaneously or when feeding. Turtles with reduced shells or soft shells tend to be more aggressive than their more protected relatives.

Habitat:

Blue Springs State Park