ODNR Division of Wildlife - A to Z Species Guide - Midland Smooth Softshell Turtle

 Midland Smooth Softshell Turtle

midland smooth softshell turtle

Softshells do not have to get air from the surface. While it is submerged, it pumps water in and out of its mouth and pharynx. The highly vascular lining of the pharynx removes oxygen from the water and expels carbon dioxide into it.
 

Midland Smooth Softshell Turtle
Apalone mutica mutica

At-a-Glance

• Typical Foods: various macroinvertebrates such as aquatic insects, crayfish, and occasionally a fish
Description
Unlike its Eastern spiny relative, the smooth softshell has no spines or other projections on its carapace. Also unlike the spiny softshell, its nostrils are not ridged and its feet are not strongly spotted or streaked. The females of are much larger than the males and lack a distinctive pattern of carapace markings.

Habitat and Habits
The smooth softshell is limited primarily to southern and southeastern Ohio, where it inhabits the larger tributaries of the Ohio River, particularly the Scioto River.

Reproduction and Care of the Young
Unlike most turtles, the sex of midland softshell turtles is not dependent on the temperature at which the eggs develop. Eggs are laid in a cavity in a sandbar.