Reptiles of North Carolina
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NC Biodiversity Project
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ALLIGATORIDAE
ANGUIDAE
ANOLIDAE
CHELONIIDAE
CHELYDRIDAE
COLUBRIDAE
DERMOCHELYIDAE
ELAPIDAE
EMYDIDAE
GEKKONIDAE
KINOSTERNIDAE
MISCELLANEOUS
PHRYNOSOMATIDAE
SCINCIDAE
TEIIDAE
TRIONYCHIDAE
VIPERIDAE
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Trionychidae Members:
Apalone spinifera
Apalone spinifera aspera
Apalone spinifera spinifera
NC
Records
Apalone spinifera spinifera
- Eastern Spiny Softshell
No image for this species.
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 French Broad river basin in the mountains provides important supporting evidence.
Field Marks:
The Eastern Spiny Softshell is distinguished by having a single dark line located along the rear edge of the carapace and by the post-orbital and post-labial stripes usually separated on the side of the head (Palmer and Braswell, 1995). In the Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell, there are two or more dark lines at the rear edge of the carapace and the lines on the neck are usually connected.
Morphological Features:
See species account
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 seen when basking.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution Comments:
This subspecies is restricted to the mountains in North Carolina, where it occurs in the French Broad River and its tributaries; one recent record may come from the Pigeon River drainage.
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:
Habitats used by this species are the same as for the species as whole: large rivers with extensive areas of sandy or muddy bottoms and lots of downed wood or emergent vegetation.
Life History and Autecology
General Ecology
Adverse Environmental Impacts
Status in North Carolina
NHP State Rank:
S1
Global Rank:
G5T5
Status in North Carolina:
SC
Status Comments:
Only a few records exist for the Eastern Spiny Softshell in North Carolina, but several recent observations confirm its continued presence in the state. As in the Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell, it is probably limited to sandy or muddy reaches of rivers and in North Carolina it appears to be confined to the French Broad River system. Its status as a reproducing population in that system needs to be confirmed.
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