Kingdom Animalia Suborder Cryptodira Subfamily Trionychinae Scientific name Apalone mutica Higher classification Apalone Order Turtle | Subphylum Vertebrata Family Trionychidae Genus Apalone Phylum Chordata Rank Species | |
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Similar Turtle, Apalone, Spiny softshell turtle, Reptile, Florida softshell turtle | ||
Smooth softshell turtle hatching
The smooth softshell turtle (Apalone mutica) is a species of softshell turtle of the family Trionychidae. The species is endemic to North America.
Contents
Geographic range
A. mutica lives mainly in the Mississippi River drainage, including the Ohio River and the lower Allegheny River.
Description
The smooth softshell turtle is usually brown or olive-colored, often with darker dots or dashes. The shell of the turtle is leathery and flexible. Many individuals, mostly including young turtles, may have a yellow ring around the outermost part of the shell. However, this is also true with other species of softshell. Apalone mutica is the only softshell without ridges in the nostrils. Females are 18–35.6 cm (7.1–14.0 in) in carapace length; males, 12.5–17.8 cm (4.9–7.0 in).
Diet
Typical foods of A. mutica include various macroinvertebrates such as aquatic insects, crayfish, and occasionally fish.
Reproduction
From May to July, adult females of A. mutica lay clutches of 3 to 28 eggs not more than 100 m (330 ft) from water in sandy areas.
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies.
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Apalone.
Sympatric species
Apalone mutica is sympatric with the spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera) over much of its range.
