mystery turtle?

[kale315]

We have a private pond in our community and I've been wondering and looking for a while what kind of turtle this is. It almost looks like a pig nose but not quite.http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j237/kale315/2011-07-03_17-06-58_987.jpg

Thanx for all the help =]

 

[yagyujubei]

It's a softshell, probably (Apalone ferox) Florida softshell.

 

[egyptiandan]

I agree It's a Florida softshell, Apalone ferox

Danny

 

[wrmitchell22]

Whatever it is, I love its nose, hehehe

 

[kale315]

That looks about right thank you =]]

 

[turtletania]

I agree Florida Soft Shell.... I have 3 Chinese soft shell.... same noses. They are fast and are nippy so watch your fingers.....;-)

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Yep, agree with the above IDs: Apalone ferox, the Florida softshell turtle. And yes, they do have long necks and a sharp beak, so don't let them bite you. But they are very cool critters; I've seen these turtles actually jump!

 

[african cake queen]

I THINK ITS A SOFT SHELL SNAPPING TURTLE. SEE ALOT OF THEM WHEN I GO TO FLA. LINDY

 

[ascott]

They have been known to lay wait in the mud and muck at the lake/pond bottom for a passing duck, they sneak up under the duck and snatch it by the leg, drag it to the bottom, drown them and eat em.....just what I heard

Where I use to work at a fisherman wrangled one out on his fishing line, it was near 2 + feet long and heavy as all get out....it was a BEAR (to put it nicely) to get the darn hook out of just the inside of its cheek....success with near zero damage..... and their piggy noses are so fun

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

There is a wetland preserve in Israel that has a bunch of aquatic turtles in its big pond. A few of them are the small Caspian turtle (Mauremys caspica, family Geoemydidae), but most of them are the bigger cousin of the turtle in this thread, the African softshell (Trionyx triunguis. These things are huge, and they are so abundant that when they all surface together to wait for food, you can hardly see the water, and there's hardly any room between them for the Caspian turtles to swim. Very cool place!