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Apalone
''Apalone'' is a genus of turtles in the family Trionychidae. The three species of ''Apalone'' are native to freshwater habitats in North America; they are the only living softshell turtles from the Americas (other American softshell turtles are only known from fossil remains). Geographic range Most ''Apalone'' species are restricted to the United States, though the range of the spiny softshell, ''A. spinifera'', extends into southern Canada and northern Mexico. Fossil evidence suggests that ''Apalone'' may have reached as far south as Costa Rica during the Pliocene. Taxonomy ''Apalone'' is a fairly new classification, resurrected by Meylan in 1987, assigned to North American species of the genus '' Trionyx''. They are still listed as ''Trionyx'' in some texts. (''Trionyx'' now refers specifically to certain softshell species found mainly in Africa.) Molecular phylogenetic studies generally suggest that ''Apalone'' is most closely related to the highly endangered Asian genus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spiny Softshell Turtle
The spiny softshell turtle (''Apalone spinifera'') is a species of softshell turtle, one of the largest freshwater turtle species in North America. Both the common name, spiny softshell, and the Specific name (zoology), specific name, ''spinifera'' (spine-bearing), refer to the spiny, cone-like projections on the leading edge of the carapace, which are not scutes (scales). Description The spiny softshell turtle's scientific name is very descriptive of the animal. ''Apalone'' comes from the Greek word ''apalos'', meaning soft or tender, and ''spinifera'' is of Latin origin; ''spina-'' referring to thorn or spine and ''-ifer'' meaning bearing. This species is a member of the family Trionychidae, and one of the most distinguishing features of members in this family is the presence of a leathery, moderately flexible carapace. This is caused by loss of keratinized scutes and some bony tissue loss. Spiny softshell turtles have webbed feet, each with three claws. Another distinguishing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
