Reptiles of North Carolina

Scientific Name:	Common Name:		Family (Alpha):

NC Records
Trionychidae Members:
Apalone spinifera aspera - Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell

Photo: Steve Hall

Photo: B. Bockhahn

Photo: Ron Pfeffer

Photo: B. Bockhahn

Taxonomy

Class: Reptilia

Order: Testudines

Family: Trionychidae


Taxonomic Comments: See species account
Species Comments: See species account

Identification

Basis for Records: A good quality photograph showing the side of the neck or the rear of the carapace should be sufficient to identify this subspecies. Location in the Broad, Catawba, Yadkin, and Lumber river basins in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain provides important supporting evidence.

Field Marks: The Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell is distinguished from the Eastern Spiny Softshell by having two or more dark lines located at the rear edge of the carapace and by a junction of the postorbital and postlabial stripes on the rear of the head (Palmer and Braswell, 1995). In the Eastern Spiny Softshell, there is just one dark line at the rear edge of the carapace and the postocular and postlabial lines run separately down the neck.

Morphological Features: Females are typically much larger than males. Maximum carapace lengths recorded in North Carolina are 410 mm (16 in) for females and 184 mm (7 in) for males (Palmer and Braswell, 1995).

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

Observation Methods: Most often observed when basking on sand bars or logs.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution Comments: This species ranges along the Gulf and Southern Atlantic Coastal Plains, from Louisana to North Carolina, but is replaced in Florida by another subspecies. In North Carolina, this subspecies is widely distributed in the rivers in the western Piedmont and Sandhills and Inner Coastal Plain. A few records exist for the Outer Coastal Plain but its presence in that region in North Carolina needs more confirmation (Palmer and Braswell, 1995).
Distribution Reference: Palmer and Braswell (1995); NCMNS Herpetology Collection Database (accessed 2023-01)
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.

Key Habitat Requirements

Habitat: As is true for the species generally, this subspecies is associated with large rivers and impoundments with sandy or muddy bottoms (Palmer and Braswell, 1995; Beane et al., 2010). Sand and mud bars, as well as logs, are used for basking. Individuals also frequently bury themselves in soft, submerged substrates, extending their long necks and tubular snouts for snorkeling.

Biotic Relationships: This species is carnivorous, feeding primarily on crayfish insects, molluks, and other invertebrates (Webb, 1962). Fish are taken to some extent, as are tadpoles and other small vertebrates (Webb, 1962). Some plant material may also be taken, but possibly inadvertently. Adults have few natural predators.
This species is noted for its speed both running on land and swimming. These adaptations are likely related to its lack of a heavy, protective shell used for defense in other species of turtles. They can also defend themselves by biting. Nest predation may be significant, however, with raccoons playing a major role (Webb, 1962).

Life History and Autecology

Breeding and Courtship: Mating takes place in May and June

Reproductive Mode: Egg laying takes place in June and July; a clutch of 25 eggs was found in July in Anson County (Stan Alford, cited in Palmer and Braswell, 1995). Sandy soils are preferred for nesting by clay soils may also be used. Unlike most turtles, sex determination is apparently not temperature dependent (Ernst and Lovich, 2009).

Aquatic Life History: Except for basking and egg-laying, Spiny Softshells spend their lives almost entirely in the water. Unlike all of our other turtles but similar to Amphibians, Softshells have extensive fluid exchange across the skin covering the body and can extract significant amounts of oxygen both through their skin and via the lining of their cloaca. In well-aerated water, Softshells can gain all of the oxygen they need for their metabolic needs without the need to breath in air (Jackson et al, 2001, cited by Ernst and Lovich, 2009). While this allows them to stay submerged for long periods of time, they are also highly vulnerable to dessication when kept out of the water for too long (Ernst and Lovich, 2009). Hibernation takes place in submerged substrates, where the oxygen levels are high and freezing does not occur. In an Arkansas population of Spiny Softshells, males occupied home ranges of about 0.88 ha. and females about 0.70 ha, with little change from year to year (Ernst and Lovich, 2009).

Terrestrial Life History: Spiny Softshells travel overland in order to nest but not to hibernate or aestivate and may only rarely leave their lake or pond sites when they dry out (Webb, 1962).

General Ecology

Adverse Environmental Impacts

Interactions with Humans: In some areas, Softshells are marketed for food. They are also shot, in some cases possibly by fisherman, mistakenly thinking that they are significant competitors for their prey (Webb, 1962).

Status in North Carolina

NHP State Rank: S3

Global Rank: G5T5

Status in North Carolina: W2

Photo Gallery for Apalone spinifera aspera - Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell		17 photos are shown.
	Recorded by: Zane Fish Alamance Co. Comment:	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn Surry Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn Surry Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Jessica Tate Forsyth Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jessica Tate Forsyth Co. Comment:	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn Surry Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Z. Lunn, J. Baxley Hoke Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Z. Lunn, J. Baxley Hoke Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn Robeson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn Robeson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn Yadkin Co. Comment:	Recorded by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger Yadkin Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ken Campbell Robeson Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Ron Pfeffer Iredell Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Ron Pfeffer Iredell Co. Comment:	Recorded by: Steve Hall, NHP Staff and friends Anson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Privette, Bowen, and Andy Wood Robeson Co. Comment:

Apalone spinifera aspera - Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell

Photo Gallery for Apalone spinifera aspera - Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell

17 photos are shown.