Midland Smooth Softshell Turtle (Apalone mutica mutica)

Description: The midland smooth softshell is rather plain looking. The front of the upper shell lacks any small bumps or spines. Shell color varies with age and sex. Males and young have an olive-gray or brown upper shell with faint markings of dots and dashes. Adult females have a mottled upper shell with blotches of gray, olive, or brown. The lower shell is a plain cream color. Head and limbs are olive or gray above, and light gray or cream-colored below. A light stripe bordered by black is usually present behind each eye. Lacking a hard shell, softshells defend themselves by being fast swimmers. They also use their strong, sharp claws to defend themselves when picked up. They should be handled very carefully to avoid injury. Similar species: Our other softshell, the spiny softshell (A. spinifera), has spines or bumps along the front edge of the upper shell. Upper shell length: 4 to 7 inches (males); 6 to 14 inches (females).

Habitat: Smooth softshell turtles prefer large unpolluted rivers, with sandy substrates. They can also be found in lakes, impoundments, and shallow bogs. In Minnesota, the smooth softshell turtle has been found in large rivers with currents which are moderate to fast. They prefer water with sand or mud bottoms, without rocky areas or dense vegetation

Range: Range is from Louisiana to the panhandle of Florida.

Found in these States: IN | KY | OH | WV

Diet: Softshells eat a variety of aquatic animals including fish, crayfish, salamanders, tadpoles, frogs, snails, and aquatic insects. In the wild this species is no threat to game fish populations.

Reproduction: Breeding occurs in April and May, and egg laying takes place from late May through June. Females lay 4 to 33 eggs, with an average of 18, in a nest on a sandbank, sandbar, or river island with some exposure to sun. Hatching occurs in 2 months. The shells of hatchlings are 1¾ to 2 inches long.

Status: Due to river channelization, siltation, pollution, and loss of sandbars, this species is likely declining in Missouri. To maintain healthy populations of this interesting reptile, harvest is controlled by state regulations. Consult the most recent Wildlife Code of Missouri for current regulations.

Taxonomy: