return to main index

  mobile - desktop
follow us on facebook follow us on twitter follow us on YouTube link to us on LinkedIn
Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research  
click here for Rodent Pro
This Space Available
3 months for $50.00
Locate a business by name: click to list your business
search the classifieds. buy an account
events by zip code list an event
Search the forums             Search in:
News & Events: Herp Photo of the Day: Milk Snake . . . . . . . . . .  Herp Photo of the Day: Thorny Devil . . . . . . . . . .  Greater Cincinnati Herp Society Meeting - Dec 04, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Calusa Herp Society Meeting - Dec 05, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Southwestern Herp Society Meeting - Dec 07, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Kentucky Reptile Expo - Dec. 07, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  St. Louis Herpetological Society - Dec 08, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Chicago Herpetological Society Meeting - Dec 15, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  San Diego Herp Society Meeting - Dec 17, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Colorado Herp Society Meeting - Dec 21, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Bay Area Herpetological Society Meeting - Dec 27, 2024 . . . . . . . . . .  Suncoast Herp Society Meeting - Dec 28, 2024 . . . . . . . . . . 
Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research
full banner - advertise here .50¢/1000 views
Layne Labs - Natural Diets for Pets & Wildlife
pool banner - $50 year

RE: Softshell Identification help...?

[ Login ] [ User Prefs ] [ Search Forums ] [ Back to Main Page ] [ Back to Softshell Turtles ] [ Reply To This Message ]
[ Register to Post ]

Posted by: casichelydia at Sun Sep 11 14:18:27 2005  [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by casichelydia ]  
   

The front rim of the carapace in the second photo gives it away. Spiney softshells are so named because of the row of tubercules (little bumps) on the front rim of the carapace (top shell). If you have both a spiney softshell and a smoothe softshell hatchling in hand, they look completely different, but with pictures for unaccustomed eyes such differentiation can be difficult. Yours is a spiney

Care for softshells is definitely more involved than with most turtles. Good care sheets can be found in the care sheet section of chelonia.org. Fortunately for you, spineys tend to be substantially easier to raise than smoothes. Although it can't be told for certain from pattern upon hatching, especially since this is such a geographically variable species, females tend to have fainter spotting, and yours looks to have this condition. Should the animal be female, you are looking at something that will grow to a foot and a half or more. If well-cared for, these guys can easily pass the two decade mark in lifespan.



   

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]


>> Next Message:  RE: Softshell Identification help...? - shopunke, Sun Sep 11 14:22:33 2005
>> Next Message:  RE: Softshell Identification help...? - shopunke, Sun Sep 11 14:29:15 2005
>> Next Message:  RE: Excuse me...... - erico, Wed Sep 14 10:08:16 2005

<< Previous Message:  Softshell Identification help...? - shopunke, Sun Sep 11 13:31:53 2005 image in post