Thorn-edge softshell turtle
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Thorn-edge softshell turtle ( Apalone spinifera ) |
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| Apalone spinifera | ||||||||||||
| ( Le Sueur , 1827) |
The thorn-edge softshell turtle ( Apalone spinifera ) belongs to the family of softshell turtles (Trionychidae).
description
The animals reach a length of up to 48 cm. The males are smaller and lighter than the females . The soft olive-brown or olive-green carapace is flat and has a round or oval shape. There are small thorns on the yellowish edge of the carapace. The pointed, long snout of the turtle is particularly striking. The muzzle and the head are olive-yellow to yellow-brown in color.
Occurrence
The species is found in North America , Mexico and southeastern Canada . There she lives in rivers, lakes and ponds.
food
The diurnal animals are carnivores . They feed on insects , snails , worms, frogs , fish , crabs and larvae.
Reproduction
The females lay 10 to 30 eggs in a pit. The young hatch after 90 to 150 days. The sex is determined by the height of the incubation temperature in the course of embryonic development. The animals can reach an age of up to 50 years.
Subspecies
- Eastern thorn-edge softshell turtle ( Apalone spinifera spinifera )
- Gulf Coast thorn-edge softshell turtle ( Apalone spinifera aspera )
- Texan thorn-edge softshell turtle ( Apalone spinifera emoryi )
- Guadalupe thorn-edge softshell turtle ( Apalone spinifera guadalupensis )
- Western thorn-edge softshell turtle ( Apalone spinifera hartwegi )
- Light thorn-edge softshell turtle ( Apalone spinifera pallida )
See also
Web links
- North American softshell turtles
- Softshell turtles
- Apalone spinifera in The Reptile Database
- Apalone spinifera inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: van Dijk, PP, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2013.