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Query: Florida crayfishResult: 2nd of 7
Turtle in Southern Florida
Subject: Turtle in Southern Florida
Poster: Judy Ricciardelli (allmyanimalz@yahoo.com)
What a Face.jpg
Resolution: 744x517 File Size: 104112 Bytes Date: 2005:05:29 02:55:36 Camera: HP PhotoSmart 318 (Hewlett-Packard) F number: f/8.0 Exposure: 2507/1000000 sec Focal Length: 679/100 Upload Date: 2005:06:08 10:26:29

Turtle in Southern Florida


I don't know what kind of turtle this is but it was on my front lawn.

Comments
Jinsuk
I think this turtle is a Florida Softshell (Apalone ferox).


Florida Softshell
Apalone ferox
Florida Softshell Turtle

Description
Males, 5 7/8-12 7/8" (15.1-32.7 cm); females, 10 7/8-19 5/8" (27.7-49.8 cm). Shells covered with soft leathery skin, not horny scutes. Carapace dark brown or brownish-gray, may have darker blotches; ridge along margin and numerous blunt tubercles on leading edge. Dark-bordered yellow or red band extends from eye to base of lower jaw. Lateral ridge on nostrils extends from nasal septum.

Breeding
Nests mid-March to July, in the morning, on sandy ground exposed to sunlight. Lays 4-22 thin-shelled, spherical eggs, about 1 1/8" (29 mm) in diameter, in cavity 5" (13 cm) deep. Incubation takes about 9 weeks.

Habitat
Sandy or muddy-bottomed lakes, ponds, and canals, and big springs with overhanging foliage.

Range
S. South Carolina and Georgia through Florida (except the Keys), west along coastal plain to Mobile Bay, Alabama.

Discussion
It is frequently seen floating on the water's surface or basking along banks. Below water, it rests buried in mud or sand, with only its head poking out. Its diet includes crayfish, snails, frogs, fish, and occasionally young waterfowl.
(Source: eNature - http://www.enature.com)

Florida crayfish
2/7
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