Softshell Turtles (6 Different Types) Softshell turtles refer to turtles of the family Trionychidae. These turtles have no hard shells instead they have tough leathery skin, thus the name – softshell turtles. These turtles are among the largest freshwater turtles in the world. The most popular softshell turtles kept as pets include turtles of the […]
Indian Peacock Softshell Turtle Overview The Indian peacock softshell turtle is a riverine turtle endemic to India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. They are generally omnivorous (predominantly carnivorous) and nocturnal. As a softshell turtle, the Indian peacock softshell turtle has a leathery shell that is soft to touch. The Indian peacock softshell turtle isn’t usually kept as […]
Description of Florida Softshell Turtle The Florida Softshell Turtle is a species of softshell turtle native to the eastern United States, primarily in the state of Florida. It is the largest of the New World softshell turtles (which are all believed to have originated in the Old World). Family: Trionychidae Genus: Apalone Scientific Name: Apalone […]
The spiny softshell turtle is commonly referred to as the Gulf Coast spiny softshell. These aquatic turtles are bimodal breathers – this means they can breathe both underwater and on land. This turtle isn’t the only species that can do that. The Japanese pond turtle is also known to spend weeks and even months at […]
The Trionyx triunguis is commonly known as the Nile softshell turtle or the African softshell turtle. As with all other softshell turtles, the Trionyx triunguis has a fleshy and leathery shell. These species live in water predominantly. They are strong swimmers and can absorb oxygen from water. This means they rarely resurface to breathe. In […]
The black softshell turtle is a species on the verge of extinction. Existing populations of this species are limited to an artificial pond in the Bayazid Bastami shrine at Chittagong, and possibly three other locations (Assam, Kaziranga, and Jia Bhoroli River – Brahmaputra). Due to their extremely limited number, conservation efforts are ongoing to save […]
Native to East Asia, the Chinese Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) is an exotic-looking turtle with leathery shells and a snorkel-like nose. These aquatic turtles can grow up to 10-13 inches (shell length), and the males are usually smaller than the females but not by much. This species of turtle belongs to the softshell family, Trionychidae, […]
Smooth Softshell Turtle Description Compared to other turtle species, the smooth softshell turtles are large. The carapaces of the females grow up to 14 inches in length. The male Smooth Softshell Turtle carapaces only reach half of this length. It is very easy to recognize these turtles from the smooth appearance of their carapaces. The […]
