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Florida Softshell Turtle
Apalone ferox
26.0837, -80.7664
Field Notes
Description:
"The Florida softshell is the largest of the New World softshell turtles...The adults are brownish-green or tan with blotches on their skin. Their shells are covered with skin, and are soft around the edges. Their noses are long and round. When they swim, they stay underwater and stick their nose up to breathe, like a snorkel. Their feet are webbed and their necks are quite long. The females are much bigger than the males."
~Nationalzoo.si.edu
Habitat:
They are found on the coastal plains of the Southeastern United States. "Their preferred habitat is slow-moving bodies of fresh water with mud or sand bottoms. They do, however, occasionally enter brackish water near mouths of streams."
~Nationalzoo.si.edu
Notes:
"Softshell turtles are capable of pharyngeal breathing. This means they can bypass lung breathing by taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide through a membrane that lines the throat, creating a direct gas exchange within the water."
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