https://forums.kingsnake.com/forum.php?catid=33 Trionychidae comprises a number of turtle genera commonly known as softshells, also sometimes called pancake turtles. Softshells consist of some of the world's largest fresh water turtles, though many can adapt to living in highly brackish areas. Members of this family occur in Africa, Asia, North America, and Southeast Asia. They are called "softshell" because their carapace lacks horny scutes (scales). The carapace is leathery and pliable, particularly at the sides. The light and flexible shell allows them to move more easily in open water, or in muddy lake bottoms. Most are strict carnivores, with diets consisting mainly of fish, aquatic crustaceans, snails, amphibians, and sometimes birds and small mammals. Here you may post messages or questions pertaining to all aspects and issues regarding the keeping, breeding, health, and conservation of species and subspecies of Softshell Turtles. Show off your softshell turtles and upload your pictures to our Softshell Turtle Photo Gallery! Don't forget to check out our other turtle related forums. If you are a new user to this forum, please take the time to review the rules first before posting: Terms of Service. Articles of interest: Fire Safety Finding a Good Herp Veterinarian Preventing Transmission of Salmonella https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=2025815,2025815 I'm looking to get a shoftshell turtle!I love the little guys! I was wondering what species, from your experience, is the best to keep. I have a nice local reptile shop that orders in reptiles, so I wouldn't want something that costs hundreds and is very rare! Thanks! https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=2022840,2022840 I have a baby softy that I got about a month ago. At first she was very active in the water but in the past week she hasn't wanted to be in the water except to eat then goes right back under the UVB bulb on the basking rock. Her shell is very wrinkled looking and rippled near her feet. I'm not sure ... https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=2020018,2020018 this is my baby soft shell turtle, just got him recently. Didn't realize the entire amount if care that can go into soft shells and they require. however they are and amazing species and i have done best research i could and spent a lot of money making him/her comfortable. now i have this problem be... https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1996158,1996158 35 years on the Parker Dam stretch of the Colorado River. Never once seen what we saw tonight! It was impressive... An easy 22" Long x 14" Wide Softie! It was a brown to brick red top color with cream granite skin and underside.. What a sight to behold! Was no way to photograph it ... https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1993027,1993027 We adopted this turtle from a local who had had it since the size of a quarter. He has done well after the move and is eating great. He says its a Florida softshell, what do you guys think? Thanks for any info. https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1951268,1951268 I was doing some herping in southern Illinois earlier in the month and saw this Spiny Softshell on the bank of the Cache River. TimThird Eye https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1935025,1935025 Roughly two weeks ago I captured a hatchling spiny softshell in apparent good health. I initially housed he/she in a 10 gallon aquarium (6 to 7 gallons of water) with proper filtration, a basking spot, 5.0 UVB lighting along with a 60 W basking bulb, and small smooth rocks for substrate. The water t... https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1917328,1917328 Just got a 3" Spiny Soft-Shell turtle - he's in a 29 Long tank, with sandy substrate, heater at 78 degrees, a floating, basking shelf, and another shelf with enough sand to bury in, and still have his head out of the water. Water is 11 inches deep & filtered by a Fluval-3. He LOVES wa... https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1873122,1873122 I picked up a baby softshell turtle this spring. It's in a 40 breeder with a heater, filter, basking platform and basking light. It gets around fine, basking swimming and eating well.....BUT for the past week the front and the back of the shell is flipping up! seems like he is good weight, active... https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1868370,1868370 I have had my softshells for a week now they are babies only about 2 inches in diameter. I can not get them to eat. The people I purchased them from recommended baby guppies or dried shrimp but they will not eat anything nor do they seem interested in eating. I am worried about them. We have a 30 ga... https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1868063,1868063 U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT (Washington, DC) 21 October 10 Researcher Defines Play, Discovers Even Turtles Need Recess Knoxville: Seeing a child or a dog play is not a foreign sight. But what about a turtle or even a wasp? Apparently, they play, too. In fact, according to Gordon Burghardt, a psyc... https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1856910,1856910 https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1852640,1852640 Thought you all might be interested in seeing this group of newly-hatched Guadelupe spiny softshells-way too cute! -----Brad Chambers WWW.HCU-TX.ORG Breeder of: Green Tree Pythons Pastel, Pinstripe, FIRE, Piebald, Clown, Lavender Albino, Leucistic, and Spider Ball Pythons Striped Colombian Boa Co... https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1840573,1840573 We got a good run of albino stuff this year and last. Between us and a few select friends, Pictured is an albino leopard in nice goo Albino Iguana from normal line, not one of our LUTINOS Breeding Machine WC Lutino Male Iguana Albino Cuban Tree Frogs Albino Chinese Water Snake Albino Florida ... https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1829270,1829270 My son found this video on youtube, its of jeremy wade from river monsters catching a giant softshell in asia, I believe the Yangtze river. Um heres the thing....this turtle looks awfully familiar to me....like a shanghai giant softshell...but theres no way right? see for your self. that would be cr... https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1780460,1780460 https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1774682,1774682 This is an interesting article in today's newspaper.... shelter adopting out rare turtles..... http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14125500 https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1759763,1759763 Hello and I am purchasing a soft shell and had a few questions. I have a decent amount of sand and a few pieces of wood. But it used to be a fish tank so its not designed for a turtle so the water has to be rather high, but I made it just low enough so the filter would still work. But I have hear... https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1731815,1731815 Hi everyone, I'm really worried about my 5 year old spiny softshell- she has always been active and eaten plenty of food. However, about two days ago her skin started sloughing off and it seems that the underside of her shell has darkened. She is also balancing on her side, and is just letting her... https://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1720886,1720886 It's very weird, my sister's neighbor found a Pig Nosed Turtle in his backyard, and gave it to her...... Where did it come from, and why was it on land, I don't know, I suppose someone dumped it there... ....I looked it up, and found out it's a rare threatened species.......Well....My sister cannot ...