Reptiles of North Carolina
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Trionychidae Members:
NC Records

Apalone spinifera - Spiny Softshell

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Taxonomy
Class: Reptilia Order: Testudines Family: Trionychidae
Taxonomic Comments: One of three species in this genus found in North America north of Mexico (SSAR, 2016); only the Spiny Softshell occurs in North Carolina.
Species Comments: Five subspecies are currently recognized (SSAR, 2016), two of which occur in North Carolina.
Identification
Basis for Records: The lack of scutes, the flattened shell, and the tubular snout all make this species easy to identify. Photographs showing these features are adequate as the basis for records submitted for this species.
Field Marks: The shell and body of this species are olive or tan. Males and juveniles usually have a conspicuous pattern of well-defined dark rings and spots on the carapace; the carapace of females, in contrast, has more diffuse dark spots or blotches (Palmer and Braswell, 1995). A lateral pair of dark-bordered pale stripes occur on the sides of the head and neck, a postocular stripe that originates just behind the eye and a postlabial stripe that originates at the angle of the jaw. These stripes differ between the two subspecies in terms of their degree of connectedness. Arcuate dark lines that parallel the posterior margin of the carapace also help in the identification of the subspecies.
Morphological Features: The shell in Soft-shelled Turtles is covered with skin instead of horny scutes and the snout is tubular (Palmer and Braswell, 1995). The surface of the carapace is sandpaper-like in the males but smoother in the females. The spines that give this species its common name refer to conical tubercles (not true scales), located on the anterior edge of the carapace.
Technical Reference: Palmer and Braswell (1995); Ernst and Lovich (2009)
Field Guide Descriptions: Beane et al. (2010); Powell et al. (2016)
Online Photos:    Google   iNaturalist   GBIF
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution Comments: This species is widely distributed in the Mississippi Basin, Gulf and southern Atlantic Coastal Plains, and Peninsular Florida. Populations in North Carolina enter the state from the Tennessee River on the west and from the Santee and Pee Dee Rivers to the southeast.
Distribution Reference: Ernst and Lovich (2009); Powell et al. (2016)
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Key Habitat Requirements
Habitat: Spiny Softshell Turtles, including both of the two subspecies that occur in North Carolina, are associated with large rivers and impoundments with sandy bottoms (Palmer and Braswell, 1995; Beane et al., 2010).
Life History and Autecology
General Ecology
Adverse Environmental Impacts
Status in North Carolina
NHP State Rank: S3
Global Rank: G5
Status in North Carolina: W2

Photo Gallery for Apalone spinifera - Spiny Softshell

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Recorded by: Travis McLain
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: Most likely A. s. aspera based on location, but diagnostic characters not visible.