Florida Softshell Turtle
Trionyx ferox
Description
Males, 5 7/8-12 7/8" (15.1-32.7 cm); females, 10 7/8-19 5/8" (27.7-49.8 cm). Shells covered with soft leathery skin, not horny scutes. Carapace dark brown or brownish-gray, may have darker blotches; ridge along margin and numerous blunt tubercles on leading edge. Dark-bordered yellow or red band extends from eye to base of lower jaw. Lateral ridge on nostrils extends from nasal septum.
Habitat
Sandy or muddy-bottomed lakes, ponds, and canals, and big springs with overhanging foliage.
Nesting
Nests mid-March to July, in the morning, on sandy ground exposed to sunlight. Lays 4-22 thin-shelled, spherical eggs, about 1 1/8" (29 mm) in diameter, in cavity 5" (13 cm) deep. Incubation takes about 9 weeks.
Range
S. South Carolina and Georgia through Florida (except the Keys), west along coastal plain to Mobile Bay, Alabama.
Discussion
It is frequently seen floating on the water's surface or basking along banks. Below water, it rests buried in mud or sand, with only its head poking out. Its diet includes crayfish, snails, frogs, fish, and occasionally young waterfowl.