Apalone
Spiny softshell turtle, Apalone spinifera
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Trionychidae
Genus:	Apalone Rafinesque, 1832
Species
3 recognized species, see article.
Synonyms
Mesodeca Rafinesque, 1832 Platypeltis Fitzinger, 1835 Glalypeltis Cope, 1860 (ex errore) Callinia Gray, 1869 Euamyda Stejneger, 1944 Platyrettis Kirsch, 1944 (ex errore)[1]

Apalone is a genus in the Trionychidae family of turtles. Species of Apalone are native to North America.

Geographic range[edit]

Most Apalone species are restricted to the United States, though the range of the spiny softshell extends into southern Canada and northern Mexico.

Taxonomy[edit]

Apalone is a fairly new classification, resurrected by Meylan in 1987,^[2] assigned to North American species of the genus Trionyx, though they are still listed as Trionyx in some texts. (Trionyx now refers specifically to certain softshell species found mainly in Africa.)

Sexual dimorphism[edit]

Turtles of the genus Apalone exhibit marked sexual dimorphism. In carapace length, females grow to about twice the size of males. In males, the claws on the front feet are longer than those on the back feet, but in females, the claws on the back feet are longer. In males, the stout tail extends well beyond the posterior edge of the carapace, but in females, the relatively thinner tail barely reaches the edge of the carapace.^[3]

Behavior[edit]

Apalone turtles are fast swimmers that chase down their prey in water. They feed mainly on fish. They also like the comfort of sand as their bedding.

Species[edit]

• Florida softshell turtle (A. ferox) - South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama
• Smooth softshell turtle (A. mutica) - United States, east of the Rocky Mountains
• Spiny softshell turtle (A. spinifera) - Canada (southern Ontario and Quebec), most of the United States, and northeastern Mexico.

References[edit]

• Genus Apalone at The Reptile Database

External links[edit]

• Tortoise.org Apalone entry
• Spiny Softshell Turtle - Apalone spinifera Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide

Turtle family Trionychidae Genus Species of the subfamily Cyclanorbinae Cyclanorbis Nubian flapshell turtle Senegal flapshell turtle Cycloderma Aubry's flapshell turtle Zambezi flapshell turtle Lissemys Burmese flapshell turtle Indian flapshell turtle Sri Lankan flapshell turtle   Species of the subfamily Trionychinae Amyda Asiatic softshell turtle Apalone Florida softshell turtle Smooth softshell turtle Spiny softshell turtle Chitra Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle Burmese narrow-headed softshell turtle Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle Dogania Malayan softshell turtle Nilssonia Black softshell turtle Burmese peacock softshell Indian softshell turtle Indian peacock softshell turtle Leith's softshell turtle Palea Wattle-necked softshell turtle Pelochelys Cantor's giant softshell turtle New Guinea giant softshell turtle Northern New Guinea giant softshell turtle Pelodiscus Chinese softshell turtle Hunan softshell turtle Lesser Chinese softshell turtle Northern Chinese softshell turtle Rafetus Euphrates softshell turtle Yangtze giant softshell turtle Trionyx African softshell turtle Phylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2011 update: annotated checklist.