Amphibians and reptiles of Ontario
Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spiniferus)
Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spiniferus)
Description:
- 17 - 45 cm
- leather-like carapace, gray-brown with dark blotches
- spiny tubercles on leading edge of carapace
- pig-like snout and very long neck
Habitat:
- broad, slow-moving muddy rivers and soft-bottomed bays and ponds
Conservation concerns, distribution and status:
- reaches its northern range limits in Ontario
- rare and local in southwestern Ontario and has disappeared from some
areas
- officially designated as Threatened in Ontario and Canada
Potential
climatic domain map
(223 observations in ONHIC database; 60 observations used
in analysis)