birdandhike.com logo
Home | Wildlife | Turtles
Texas Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi)
Spiny Softshell (Apalone [Trionyx] spiniferus)
Turtles Around Las Vegas, Wildlife Around Las Vegas
Texas Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi)

General Description: Texas Softshells (Apalone spinifera emoryi) are light colored water turtles with a long, pig-like snout and a flat, leathery shell. They have been described as pancakes with pig-snouts.

Taxonomy: Softshell Turtles (Trionychidae). Formerly Trionyx spinifera; Apalone spiniferus.

Technical Description: Shell size to 18 inches. Shell extremely flat (like a pair of pancakes), flexible, and leathery (not hard as is typical of most turtles). Neck long and flexible. Nostrils at the end of a long, pig-like snout. Feet webbed to form large, broad paddles.

Diet: A lie-in-wait, ambush hunter, these turtles hide in the mud at the bottom of a pond and prey on passing crayfish, aquatic insects, worms, tadpoles, and aquarium fish.

Habitat: Slow moving water in rivers and ponds.

Texas Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi)
Broad, flat, leathery shell (Rogers Spring)

Range: Softshells are basically eastern turtles, but this species ranges along the US-Mexico border in Texas and New Mexico, with disjunct populations in south-central Arizona (Gila River) and along the lower Colorado River north to the southwest edge of Utah. Considered rare in our area, these turtles can occasionally be seen in the pond at Rogers Spring and Las Vegas Bay (both in Lake Mead NRA) and in the Las Vegas Wash in the Las Vegas Valley.

Breeding: Digs nest in sandy banks and lays 1-2 clutches of up to 33 eggs each in the spring and summer.

Similar Species: No other turtles in Nevada have flat, pancake-like shells.

Comments: These turtles bite.

Texas Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi)
Long, double-barreled, pig-like snout
Good News for our Softshell Friends: effective November 21, 2016, the common snapping turtle, Florida softshell turtle, smooth softshell turtle, and spiny softshell turtle are listed in Appendix III of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). When listed under CITES, international trade in the species, either as live specimens or parts or products, must be accompanied by a valid CITES permit or certificate. Permits ensure trade is conducted at sustainable levels and provides a means to balance use and conservation.
Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi) Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi)
Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi) Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi)
Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi) Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi)
Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi) Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi)
Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi)
Rogers Spring
Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi)
Las Vegas Wash
Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi) Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera emoryi)

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 231231

Turtles Around Las Vegas Wildlife Around Las Vegas Glossary Copyright, Conditions, Disclaimer Home
Google Ads