Apalone spinifera
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
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, spinifera (spine-bearing), refer to the spiny, cone-like projections on the leading edge of the carapace, which are not scutes (scales).
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 feature of softshell turtles is the presence of a fleshy, elongated nose.
The carapace (the upper part of the shell) ranges from brown or yellow-brown to olive in color, while the plastron (lower part of the shell) is lighter, usually white or yellow and... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States |
No species of the same family or order lives in Dallas, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Spiny Softshell Turtle sighting in Dallas on a given day, based on 458 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 5th most-seen of the 33 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Spiny Softshell Turtle in Dallas on a given day, against under 5% in January and February, the lowest months. That is one of Dallas's wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain against 55 mm in July.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spiny Softshell Turtle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 17 cities where we can rate Spiny Softshell Turtle sightings, Dallas has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Austin (United States, about 20%) and Houston (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spiny Softshell Turtle is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Dallas (458 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
