Spiny Softshell Apalone Spinifera

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spiny softshell Apalone spinifera Kingdom: Animalia FEATURES Phylum: Chordata The female spiny softshell turtle averages seven to Class: Reptilia 17 inches in length while the male is about five to Order: Testudines nine and one-fourth inches long. The tan shell is leathery and covered with bumps. It has no scales or Family: Trionychidae scutes (plates). Each side of the head has a light ILLINOIS STATUS© Roger Cook stripe behind the eye and a light line behind the jaw. The neck and legs are olive with dark mottling. The common, native feet are strongly spotted or streaked. © Scott Ballard BEHAVIORS The spiny softshell turtle may be found statewide in Illinois. This aquatic turtle lives in rivers and bodies of still water that have sand bars or mud bars. It is a powerful swimmer that is very agile on land, too. It basks on sand bars. This softshell turtle buries itself in sand with only the head sticking out far enough to reach above the water’s surface for breathing. The spiny softshell hunts for food in the early morning and late evening. It will bite and scratch if disturbed. It buries itself in mud or sand to overwinter. The mating season occurs in April and May. The female deposits about 18 eggs in a nest dug in the sand from mid-May through July. Up to four clutches per year per female may be deposited. The nest is adult generally placed in full sunlight. Eggs hatch in August, September or October. This turtle eats ILLINOIS RANGE aquatic animals it can capture, including crayfish, insects, fishes, frogs, tadpoles and mollusks (snails, slugs and others). © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 2020. Biodiversity of Illinois. Unless otherwise noted, photos and images © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. adult © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 2020. Biodiversity of Illinois. Unless otherwise noted, photos and images © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. adult Aquatic Habitats lakes, ponds and reservoirs; rivers and streams Woodland Habitats none Prairie and Edge Habitats none © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 2020. Biodiversity of Illinois. Unless otherwise noted, photos and images © Illinois Department of Natural Resources..

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