Close up of Close up of Apalone ferox Apalone ferox

headhead

Apalone ferox, Apalone ferox, Flordia Soft-shell Flordia Soft-shell

TurtleTurtle

Eastern Box Eastern Box Turtles, Turtles,

Terrapene c. Terrapene c. carolinacarolina

Chinese softshell turtle

Pelodiscus sinensis

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Subclass: Anapsida

Order: Testudines

Suborder: Cryptodira

Family: Trionychoia

Taxonomy

Florida box turtle (Hard shell turtle) Terrapene

carolina

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class:Subclass:

ReptiliaAnapsida

Order:Suborder:

TestudinesCryptodira

Family: Emydidae

They greatly reduce and flatten their protective shells which result They greatly reduce and flatten their protective shells which result in decreased mineral needs and extra energy for the hard tissuesin decreased mineral needs and extra energy for the hard tissues

Improving camouflage by hiding in mud Improving camouflage by hiding in mud (Why do you think?)(Why do you think?)› Soft-shell turtles are able to fit into narrow crevices and Soft-shell turtles are able to fit into narrow crevices and

cracks, and use these locations that no other tortoise is cracks, and use these locations that no other tortoise is capable of using because of their pancake-like profile and capable of using because of their pancake-like profile and flexibilityflexibility

Hunting performanceHunting performance› overall increase agility and short-term swimming boosts. overall increase agility and short-term swimming boosts.

(What mechanism enables this?)(What mechanism enables this?)› The soft-shell tortoise is lighter because their shells or The soft-shell tortoise is lighter because their shells or

“carapaces” have a lot of openings in them and less bone“carapaces” have a lot of openings in them and less bone

Smooth Softshell Turtle

(Apalone mutica)

When a hard shell turtle is threatened, it will crouch When a hard shell turtle is threatened, it will crouch down and withdraw into its shell, rather than make a down and withdraw into its shell, rather than make a quick getaway such as the soft-shelled turtlequick getaway such as the soft-shelled turtle

Hard shell turtles are not as prone to bites and lesions Hard shell turtles are not as prone to bites and lesions as a soft shell turtle and can withstand water pollution as a soft shell turtle and can withstand water pollution better because the skin is not as permeable. better because the skin is not as permeable.

They can withstand aerial environments and They can withstand aerial environments and temperature change better than soft shell turtlestemperature change better than soft shell turtles

Snapping Turtle, Chelydra

serpentina

TrachemysTrachemys scripta, scripta, hard shell hard shell

turtleturtleApalone Apalone

Ferox, Ferox, soft soft shell turtleshell turtle

Apalone Apalone Spinifera, Spinifera, soft soft

shell turtleshell turtle

TrachemysTrachemys scriptascripta, (hard shell , (hard shell

turtle) almost turtle) almost entirely dependent entirely dependent

on aerial respirationon aerial respiration

Apalone ferox Apalone ferox (soft-(soft-shell turtle)shell turtle) doubled doubled

its aquatic gas its aquatic gas exchange rate and exchange rate and was significantly was significantly

different when different when compared with the compared with the

hard shell, hard shell, T. scriptaT. scripta

Why?Why?The soft shell turtles have evolved The soft shell turtles have evolved to spend long periods of time under to spend long periods of time under water. This enables them to become water. This enables them to become

better predators and capture their better predators and capture their prey such as crayfish and fish. prey such as crayfish and fish.

The soft shell The soft shell turtles turtles (A. ferox and (A. ferox and

A. spinifera) A. spinifera) are are able to dive at much able to dive at much

greater lengths greater lengths when compared to when compared to

the hard shell turtle the hard shell turtle (T. scripta)(T. scripta)

T. scripta T. scripta is able to is able to stay emerged the stay emerged the

longest but at rest. longest but at rest. However, the soft However, the soft shell turtles shell turtles (A. (A.

ferox and A. ferox and A. spinifera)spinifera) are able are able

to exercise and to exercise and move without move without

oxygen significantly oxygen significantly better than the hard better than the hard

shell turtle (shell turtle (T. T. scripta )scripta )

The hard shell The hard shell turtle takes turtle takes significantly significantly

more breaths more breaths when emerged when emerged under water. under water.

This is when the This is when the T. scripta T. scripta is is

exercising. This exercising. This indicates that indicates that the hard shell the hard shell turtle is using turtle is using

more energy to more energy to capture food capture food

when when submerged submerged underwater underwater

which is which is disadvantageoudisadvantageou

ss

The hard shell turtle has adapted to absorb The hard shell turtle has adapted to absorb large amounts of lactic acid produced after large amounts of lactic acid produced after

exercise.exercise. How do they do this? How do they do this?

•Compartmentalization! They are able to recover faster from intense Compartmentalization! They are able to recover faster from intense anaerobic exercise because of intercompartmental transfers into their hard anaerobic exercise because of intercompartmental transfers into their hard

shell. shell.

The soft shell takes a longer amount of time to recovery The soft shell takes a longer amount of time to recovery from intense anaerobic exercises, however is NOT from intense anaerobic exercises, however is NOT

significantly differentsignificantly different

Work Cited: 

oPrtichard, Peter C.H. Evolution and Structure of the Turtle Shell. Flordia, 2008

oCarr, Archie 1952. Handbook of Turtles, New York. Cornell University Press.

oIverson, John B. 1992. A Revised Checklist with Distribution Maps of the Turtles of the World,

Indiana.

oB. Bagatto and R. P. Henry1999. Exercise and Forced Submergence in the Pond Slider

(Trachemys scripta) and softshell turtle (Apalone ferox): Influence on Biodal Gas Exchange, Diving

Behavior and Blood Acid-Base Status 

ohttp://www.unc.edu/~dtkirkpa/stuff/pancake2.html