Apalone | |
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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. |
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Synonyms | |
Mesodeca Rafinesque, 1832 |
Apalone is a genus in the Trionychidae family of turtles. Species of Apalone are native to North America.
Contents
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]
- ^ Fritz, Uwe and Havaš, Peter. 2007. Checklist of Chelonians of the World. Museum für Tierkunde Dresden. Dresden.
- ^ Meylan, P.A. 1987. The phylogenetic relationships of soft-shelled turtles (family Trionychidae). Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 186:1-101.
- ^ Smith, H.M. and E.D. Brodie, Jr. 1982. Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. Golden Press. New York. 240 pp. (SOFTSHELL TURTLES—family Trionychidae, p. 30.)
- 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
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