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Eastern Spiny Softshell
Apalone spinifera spinifera
Description
A flat, pancake-like turtle with a leathery shell, a snorkel-like snout, and small spines along the front of the shell. Fast, wary, and usually buried in river sand.
Stats
Size
Carapace 5 - 17 inches
Status
Common
Similar Species
Smooth Softshell, which lacks shell tubercles and has smooth-edged nostrils.
Diet
Crayfish, aquatic insects, and small fish, taken by ambush and active foraging.
Habitat
Rivers, lakes, and impoundments with sandy or muddy bottoms.
Reproduction
Lays 4-30 spherical eggs in sandy banks in early summer.
Eastern Spiny Softshell
Eastern Spiny Softshell
Apalone spinifera spinifera
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