Identification
Softshell turtles, in contrast to other turtle species, lack horny plates on
the shell, and are instead covered with a leathery skin. Most of the body is
scaleless, but modified scales do appear on the limbs. The carapace is broad
and flat, and for young turtles is olive to light yellowish brown or grey with
black spots, flecks and circles. While males retain their juvenile colors, females
tend to darken and become blotched with grey or brown. Short inconspicuous spines
at the front of the carapace give these turtles their name. The limbs are olive
to light brown in coloration and may be marked with dark mottling, and the feet
are strongly streaked and spotted. The head of the spiny softshell is long and
narrow, with a yellow stripe boarded by black that extends from the snout through
the eye and onto the neck. The snout is long, with flexible nostrils at the
tip, each bearing a ridge.
Distribution and Status
The Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle is found from western New York and southern
Ontario west through Wisconsin, south to Tennessee, northern Alabama, and western
Mississippi, and east to extreme western Virginia and Pennsylvania. Isolated
populations also occur in New Jersey, eastern New York, northwestern Vermont,
and Quebec. These turtles are locally common in the western Great Lakes region,
but are less common in the east. In the western end of Lake Ontario, populations
have been nearly extirpated. In the Midwest, the Eastern Spiny Softshell is
absent from Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri. (US
distribution map; Midwest
distribution map).
Ecology
Eastern Spiny Softshells are highly aquatic, and rarely leave
the vicinity of water. They prefer open habitats without aquatic vegetation
and are commonly found in areas such as larger streams, inland lakes, reservoirs,
ponds, ditches, gravel pits, and other permanent bodies of water. Being strong
swimmers, these turtles can withstand moderate currents and they use their elongated
nose to breathe at the surface of the water. Eastern Spiny Softshells often
bury themselves in the sand or hide under rocks at the bottom of their chosen
body of water. Much time is spent basking along banks or on logs in the water.
Threats and Management Issues
Declines in spiny softshell populations are attributed to pollution, exploitation
by humans, and the loss of suitable nesting sites. Nests are also readily destroyed
by raccoons, skunks, foxes and other mammals. Because of their soft shells,
hatchlings are extremely vulnerable to predation by raccoons, herons, and large
fish. The turtles are also sensitive to pollution, and have disappeared from
many polluted waterways in the Great Lakes region. Shoreline development also
depletes populations. Human interaction such as shooting turtles or harvesting
them for food, as well as injuries sustained from boat propellers, also effect
the spiny softshell.
Resources
Ernst. C. H., J. E. Lovich and R. W. Barbour. 1994. Turtles of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, USA.
General reference guides and websites.
Bruce Kingsbury, Director
Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management
Science Building
Indiana-Purdue University
2101 East Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499