Smooth softshell turtle

Smooth softshell turtle
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Trionychidae
Genus:	Apalone
Species:	A. mutica
Binomial name
Apalone mutica (Le Sueur, 1827)[2]
Synonyms[3]
Trionyx muticus Le Sueur, 1827 Aspidonectes muticus – Wagler, 1830 Gymnopus muticus – Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 Amyda mutica – Agassiz, 1857 Trionyx muticus – Webb, 1959 Apolone mutica – Meylan, 1987 Apalone mutica mutica Trionyx pusilla Rafinesque, 1822 Trionyx muticus LeSueur, 1827 Aspidonectes muticus Wagler, 1830 Gymnopus muticus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 Amyda mutica Agassiz, 1857 Potamochelys microcephalus Gray, 1864 Callinia microcephala Gray, 1869 Potamochelys microcephala Boulenger, 1889 Trionyx muticus muticus Webb, 1959 Apalone mutica Meylan, 1987 Apalone muticus Meylan & Webb, 1988 Apalone mutica mutica Ernst & Barbour, 1989 Apalone mutica mutica Stubbs, 1989 Trionix muticus Richard, 1999 Apalone mutica calvata Trionyx pusilla Rafinesque, 1822 Trionyx muticus calvatus Webb, 1959 Apalone mutica calvata Ernst & Barbour, 1989 Apalone mutica calvata Stubbs, 1989

The smooth softshell turtle (Apalone mutica) is a softshell turtle of the family Trionychidae. It is endemic to North America.

Geographic range

It lives mainly in the Mississippi River drainage, including the Ohio River and the lower Allegheny River.

Description

The smooth softshell turtle is usually brown or olive-colored, often with darker dots or dashes. It is the only softshell without ridges in the nostrils. Females are 18-35.6 cm (7-14 inches); males, 12.5-17.8 cm (5-7 inches).

Reproduction

From May to July, the females lay bunches of three to 28 eggs about 100 m from water in sandy areas.^[4]

Sympatric species

Apalone mutica is sympatric with the spiny softsl turtle (Apalone spinifera) over much of its range.^[5]

References

Turtle family Trionychidae Genus Species of the subfamily Cyclanorbinae Cyclanorbis Nubian flapshell turtle Senegal flapshell turtle Cycloderma Aubry's flapshell turtle Zambezi flapshell turtle Lissemys Burmese flapshell turtle Indian flapshell turtle Sri Lankan flapshell turtle   Species of the subfamily Trionychinae Amyda Asiatic softshell turtle Apalone Florida softshell turtle Smooth softshell turtle Spiny softshell turtle Chitra Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle Burmese narrow-headed softshell turtle Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle Dogania Malayan softshell turtle Nilssonia Black softshell turtle Burmese peacock softshell Indian softshell turtle Indian peacock softshell turtle Leith's softshell turtle Palea Wattle-necked softshell turtle Pelochelys Cantor's giant softshell turtle New Guinea giant softshell turtle Northern New Guinea giant softshell turtle Pelodiscus Chinese softshell turtle Hunan softshell turtle Lesser Chinese softshell turtle Northern Chinese softshell turtle Rafetus Euphrates softshell turtle Yangtze giant softshell turtle Trionyx African softshell turtle Phylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2011 update: annotated checklist.