Common name : Black spiny softshell, Eastern spiny softshell, Texas spiny softshell
Scientific name : Apalone spinifera
Family : Trionychidae
Native to : North America
Interesting fact : Spiny softshell turtles can breathe through their skins and stay under water for up to 5 hours.
Conservation status : Least Concern
A soft and round, skin-like shell with spiny projections in the front covers the spiny softshell turtle. The shell surface is grainy like sandpaper. It has a tubular snout and webbed feet for its life in water. They love to stay buried in muddy or sandy rivers with their heads out. They feed on crayfish, insects, worms, fish and frogs.
