Apalone ferox
Silhouette: Armin Reindl · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The Florida softshell turtle (Apalone ferox) is a species of turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is native to the Southeastern United States. The maximum recorded lifespan of a Florida softshell turtle is 26 years.
The Florida softshell turtle is found primarily in Florida, but it also ranges to southern sections of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. It is the only species of softshell turtle whose range spans the entire Florida peninsula. Of the three species in the genus Apalone, the Florida softshell turtle occupies the smallest geographic range.
The Florida softshell turtle is a widespread species and occupies almost every freshwater habitat, even tolerating some brackish environments; however, it is not often found in water with strong currents, preferring habitats with slow-moving or still water. These different habitats include swamps, lakes, marshes, wet prairies, small rivers, creeks, and even ponds formed in man-made ditches or sinkholes.
The Florida softshell turtle is a large turtle with a flattened, pancake-like body, a long neck, an elongated head with a long snorkel-like nose, and large webbed feet... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Guangzhou | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 4 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antwerp Zoo | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 2 | Zoo Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Toronto Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Zoofari | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Dauphin Island Audubon Bird Sanctuary | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Africam Safari | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Zoo La Barben | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 8 | Brevard Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | ZooTampa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Gatorland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Lisbon Zoo | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 12 | Naples Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Buin Zoo | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 15 | Monterey Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Palm Beach Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Reptile Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Turtle Bay Exploration Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | VigoNature | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 20 | Sawgrass Nature Center | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | The Seas with Nemo & Friends | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Florida Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 23 | SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 24 | Mote Marine Laboratory | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 25 | National Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 26 | Tennessee Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 27 | Aquatopia | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 28 | Edisto Island Serpentarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 29 | Tarpon Springs Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
No species of the same family or order lives in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Softshell Turtle sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 221 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 35 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–April and October
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Softshell Turtle in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against about 30% in July–September and December–January, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Florida Softshell Turtle sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Florida Softshell Turtle sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 3rd at about 40%. The best odds are in Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 60%) and Everglades National Park (United States, about 50%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Florida Softshell Turtle is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (221 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
