Do Turtles Without Shells Exist?
You might think of a turtle as a happy creature that carries its home on its back. As an animal that has a hard shell, top, and bottom, into which it can withdraw its head, legs, and tail for safety and comfort. That picture is a true one. There are however many turtles that don’t have a hard shell, but a soft, pliable one. These turtles are given the name softshell turtles.
They are attractive and intriguing animals. For many years, several of the species were considered to be an important source of food – the ingredient in the famous, or notorious, turtle soup. Nowadays some soft-shell turtles are enjoyed as domestic pets.
Welcome To The World Of Freshwater Soft Shell Turtles
There are twenty-five species of freshwater softshell turtles spread around the globe, from North America to Asia, to Africa, to the Indo-Pacific Islands. Of these, five are critically endangered, five are endangered, and six are vulnerable. For more information about softshell turtle conservation status, you can consult the Red List. In addition to these freshwater guys, the Leatherback turtle is a sea-going softshell turtle.
The Special Anatomy Of Soft Shell Turtles
Instead of having a hard, bony carapace, or upper shell, soft-shell turtles have a leathery, supple shell. It doesn’t have the scutes, or scales, characteristic of the hard-shelled turtle. It’s often flat, even pancake-like. All softshell turtles, except for the smooth softshell turtle, have bumps or spines in their leathery shell.
Another identifying characteristic of these turtles is the length of their head and shape of their head. They have sharp, pointy noses with nostrils on the top of the head. This enables them to sit just under mud, substrate, or water and breathe through those exposed nostrils. They can hide like that, or they can lie in wait for their prey. They have a well-developed sense of smell, and that characteristic pointy nose is used to sniff out potential danger from predators.
Soft Shell Turtles Have Interesting Biology
Soft-shell turtles which live in temperate climates hibernate in the colder months. (Those that live in warmer areas stay active throughout the ear.) The soft-shell turtles which hibernate bury themselves in mud and silt and essentially go into suspended animation. So do they just hold their breath for all those months? Of course not! They use something called pharyngeal breathing.
This means that they absorb oxygen through their skin and some through their pharynx – the scientific name for the throat. They get about 70% of the oxygen that they need through their skin and the rest through their throat. This is almost like the way fish get oxygen from the water through their gills. The combination of skin and pharynx breathing is called bimodal breathing.
During this hibernation or brumation time, they depend on the energy stored in their body. As temperatures rise, the soft-shell turtles wake up from their long snooze, and the first thing that they do is eat, the second thing is they try to get some sun.
How Do Soft Shell Turtles Protect Themselves?
Turtles as a rule use their shells to protect themselves. Some turtles can fight and bite, but most of them are lovers, not fighters. Softshell turtles by definition are vulnerable because they don’t have that hardened carapace. So they have evolved to be extremely strong swimmers to that get themselves out of trouble.
Their flexible shell is streamlined to enable them to move through the water at speed, and because it is flexible it also means that some of them can dive to great depths. Most soft-shell turtles have very large, strong, webbed feet, which power them through the water.
What Do Soft Shell Turtles Eat?
Soft-shell turtles are mainly carnivores, meaning that they eat meat. They may eat a little vegetation, especially as they get older. Younger turtles require more protein as they are growing. Their hunting method largely consists of lying in wait, concealed by the substrate, and waiting for prey to come within reach. They eat fish, water insects, crustaceans, and mollusks, and some species may even eat small mammals and birds.
Soft Shell Turtle Habitats
Softshell turtles (apart of course from the Leatherback turtle, which is a sea turtle) generally live in freshwater. Some species can tolerate brackish conditions; for example, the Nile softshell turtle, Trionyx triunguis. They can be found in ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, reservoirs, and estuaries. Although as we have seen, they are strong swimmers, they tend to prefer quiet, slow-moving, and relatively shallow water that has a muddy bottom. They are able to adapt to faster flowing water, but it does not offer the opportunities to catch food by lying in wait that can be found in quieter water.
Threats To The Survival Of Soft Shell Turtles
In common with most species of turtle around the globe, loss of habitat is a major threat to softshell turtles. This loss of habitat can occur due to the clearance and drainage of land for development or agriculture, and also as the result of pollution. Roadkill is a common problem during the times of the year when turtles are moving for nesting. Predation by natural enemies is an issue, especially the taking of eggs. Some turtles and their eggs are still hunted by humans for food. Another threat that needs to be considered is that of climate change, the effects of which are unpredictable, but likely to be serious for some species.
The Reproductive Cycle Of The Soft Shell Turtle
In general, soft-shell turtles mate in the spring. They lay their eggs above the high water flood line in river or lakeside banks where they can find sandy soil. The clutch size varies between turtle species. Some lay as many as a hundred eggs, whereas some lay as few as three or four. Some species lay annually, and others can lay several times a year. The sex of the hatchlings is not controlled by the temperature in the nest, unlike some turtle species. Both females and males hatch out from the same nest. This is a positive adaptation for survival in the face of climate change.
Do Soft Shell Turtles Make Good Pets?
Softshell turtles are not for the inexperienced turtle keeper, but they are popular and they do make good pets. They are active and have an interesting appearance. In the United States, the Florida, Spiny, and Smooth softshell turtles are the most popular. Bear in mind that a large adult female will ultimately need a 600-gallon tank, so make sure that you plan ahead.
The Spiny Softshell Turtle – Apalone spinifera
One of the smaller soft-shell turtles, the spiny softs shell turtle is popular as a pet due to its relatively small size. Females grow to a carapace length of 9 – 11 inches, and males to a length of 5 – 9 inches. They have fleshy spines or knobs at the front of the carapace. They are known to live for fifty years or more, so if you plan to keep one as a pet, be prepared to look after your friend for the long haul.
The carapace is olive-green, brown, or even yellowish in color, and the plastron ranges in color from almost white to cream or yellow. Females may have splotches on the carapace, and their general coloration will darken with age. Males stay the same color throughout their life. Their coloring is designed to offer some camouflage. The skin on their head and neck has pale stripes with a darker outline.
The Details
This turtle is very widespread throughout the Northern United States. In terms of habitat, it is reasonably easy to please. It can be found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and tributaries, in water that is from three to thirty feet deep. They prefer water that is clear and lightly vegetated, presumable because this makes it easier for them to catch their prey. These are usually found where there is a clean, sandy bottom and sandy banks where they can make their nests. They will move around within their home range, but generally, they stay within around six miles of their home.

The Smooth Softshell Turtle – Apalone mutica
This turtle is unique in the soft shell turtle word as being the only one that does not have bumps or spines on its carapace. Females grow to a carapace length of fourteen inches, and males to just half that size – seven inches. They can live for up to fifty years.
In coloring, they look very similar to the spiny softshell turtle. They have round, rather than ‘C’ shaped nostrils though, and also they have plain colored skin on their neck and throat. They also enjoy the same kind of habitat and living conditions.
In the United States, they can be found as far north as Pennsylvania all the way down south to Florida and New Mexico. They live in the drainage systems of the Mississippi, Colorado, Pearl, Sabine, Alabama, Escambia, and Brazos rivers.
The Black Softshell Turtle or Bostami Turtle – Nilssonia Nigricans
This exotic softshell turtle is extremely rare. It is thought that it was introduced to a shrine pond in Chittagong from Iran. The turtles kept in that pond were regarded as sacred, and so it was preserved, and today some black soft-shell turtles can be found in the wild. They can also be found in other temple ponds in Assam and elsewhere in India and Bangladesh. In Hindu belief, this turtle is the reincarnation of the god Kurma.
The carapace and plastron of this turtle are black in color, as is the skin, although they may have yellow or white spots. They are large animals, growing to as much as 120 pounds in weight, with a carapace width of up to 31″ and a length of 21″. The black soft-shell turtle hibernates or brumates in the colder months, and they make use of pharyngeal breathing.
The Details
These turtles are thought to live for as much as 150 years, but they have a very poor reproductive record, with perhaps only one egg hatching out of the twenty laid. As these turtles mainly survive in temple ponds, they have grown used to being fed by humans, and their diet consists of fruit, grain, and some meat. What their diet might be in the wild is, as a result, not really known, but as they appear to do well on the diet they are offered, it’s likely that in the wild they are omnivorous.
The fact that these turtles are revered has meant that they have survived, but perhaps not in the best conditions in terms of nutrition and reproductive environment. Extensive and intelligent conservation efforts mean that these turtles are now being kept in conditions that are more beneficial to them. The State Zoo of Assam along with sixteen temples are collaborating in a project to protect and enhance the existing captive population, and also to begin repopulating the turtle to the wild.
The Chinese Soft Shell Turtle – Pelodiscus sinensis
This is a medium-sized soft shell turtle with adult females having a carapace length of around 13″, and adult males, around 11″. The contrast in size between males and females is not as great in this species as in some others. They are not as long-lived as some of the other softshell turtles, having a lifespan of around twenty-five years.
This is just one of the Asiatic family of soft-shell turtles and is probably the most popular to be kept as a pet in the United States. Albino specimens can be found, and these are very sought after by turtle fanciers for their unusual and beautiful white coloring.
The Details
The normal coloring is a dark olive-green carapace, or upper shell, with dark brown or black splotches. The plastron, or lower shell, is a rather lovely dark orange or light red, also with darker patches.
They are vigorous swimmers and very cunning predators. If you decide to keep one of these turtles as a pet, it is a good idea to provide them with love food. This is good for their health, of course, but it is also interesting to watch them hunt naturally. These turtles are considered good to eat, and they are under threat from overhunting in the wild.