Which turtle have a very soft shell?

Answer 1

The most common in the pet trade and captivity are the smooth softshell (Apalone mutica), the Florida softshells (A. ferox) and the eastern spiny softshell turtles (A. spinifera spp.), whose natural range extends from southern Ontario and Quebec, through the northern U.S. from Montana, Wyoming and Colorado east to New York, Vermont, and south to Georgia and into Florida and Mexico.

A. mutica are pale-medium brown, the males with more dark spotting than the females. The A. spinifera spp. are medium brown with darker spots and blotches on their shell. A. ferox hatchlings have a dark brownish carapace with blotching markings on the shell; these markings tend to blend out into a more uniform dark brown color over the carapace. The hatchlings also have a yellowish-orange stripe around the outside of the shell and along the face. On the A. spinifera, the markings are fainter, and the carapace's leading edge is lined with small spiky projections.

The softshells truly have soft shells: in fact, their shells are mostly thickened skin. As such they are much more vulnerable to injuries from rocks and bites than are other hard-shelled turtles. They are highly aquatic, spending most of their time under water, often buried under the sandy or muddy river or lake bottoms with only their long probiscus topping the surface. Like many aquatic amphibians, softshells respire through their skin as well, thus are particularly susceptible to impurities in the water.

Softshells are found in a variety of waters: lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, even ditches. Some species are quite aggressive. They are carnivores and as such are able to render some very painful bites should they be so inclined. In some parts of their range, they are an important food item, especially the larger Asian specimens which may reach 36" in length.

Due to their aggressive tendencies, especially if overcrowded, they should be kept single or in pairs. Pairs should be monitored closely to assure that one is not attacking the other; bite marks on the fleshy carapace or plastron are one indicator, and severe injuries have been inflected on their sensitive noses, as well, from aggressive conspecifics.

Softshells are very shy around humans, and often will not come out much when any are around. Food intake must be monitored by looking to see that food offered disappears and that feces appear regularly. When kept in a home they should be in a low traffic, low noise area.