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| Spiny Softshell Turtle |
The genus Apalone is thought to come from the Greek apo meaning ‘separate’ and the Anglo-Saxon alone meaning ‘solitary’, as well as the Greek apalos meaning ‘soft’ or ‘tender.’ All of these terms apply to the members of this genus, which is comprised of the softshell turtles native to North America. Turtles of this genus exhibit marked sexual dimorphism, or the condition where the two sexes of the same species exhibit different characteristics beyond their sexual organs.
Females grow to twice the size of males, in terms of carapace or shell length. In males, the claws on their front feet are longer than those on the back feet, enabling them to better hold on to the female while mating. In females, the claws on the back are longer, for digging into sandbanks in order to lay her eggs. Lastly, males have a thicker, stout tail that extends well beyond the edge of its carapace, but the female’s tail is relatively thin and barely extends beyond the carapace. From a behavioral standpoint, the female is much more solitary, wanders more, and requires deeper water, while the male often congregates with juveniles in sandy shallows and while basking along exposed banks.
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| Spiny Softshell Turtle |
There are two species of softshell turtle in Texas. The more common Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera) is found throughout the state, while the Smooth Softshell Turtle (Apalone mutica) is found only in parts of the eastern two-thirds of the state. The Spiny Softshell’s olive-gray or tan carapace is leathery and flat, and has small spines along the front edge, which explains its species name. At home in rivers, lakes, ponds, and other bodies of water with muddy or soft bottoms, its spends its time feeding on aquatic insects, fish, and crayfish, basking or floating at the surface, or buried in soft, shallow substrates. Its long neck and snorkel-like nose allows the turtle to breathe at the water’s surface without having to leave its buried location. Females typically grow to 22 inches, while males top out at 8.5 inches in length.
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| Smooth Softshell Turtle |
The Smooth Softshell’s olive-gray to brown carapace is also leathery and flat, but lacks any spines, bumps, or projections. This characteristic is reflected in its species name, which means ‘shortened’ or ‘docked.’ It also prefers bodies of water with soft, sandy bottoms, and basks on banks, logs, rocks, or under shallow water with its long nose exposed. Primarily insectivorous, it will also consume vegetation and small invertebrates and fish. Smaller than the Spiny Softshell, females grow to 14 inches and males to 7 inches in length.
One odd but amazing fact about softshell turtles is that they are believed to absorb 70% of their oxygen through their skin. The other 30% comes from pumping water in and out of their pharynx or throats, which contain many tiny projections of tissue with small blood vessels that provide a huge surface area for oxygen absorption. This adaptation allows them to remain underwater for several hours. Now that’s one highly aquatic Apalone!
