Apalone is a North American genus in the Trionychidae family of turtles, a family whose members are commonly referred to as softshell turtles. Apalone species are native primarily to the United States, though are also found in parts of southern Canada and northern Mexico. Apalone is a fairly new classification assigned to North American species of genus Trionyx, though they are still sometimes listed as Trionyx in certain texts. (Trionyx now refers specifically to certain softshell species found in Asia.)They are fast swimmers that chase down their prey in water. They feed mainly on fish.

Species

• Florida Softshell Turtle, Apalone ferox - South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.
• Smooth Softshell Turtle, Apalone mutica - United States, east of the Rocky Mountains.
• Spiny Softshell Turtle, Apalone spinifera - Canada (southern Ontario and Quebec), most of the United States, and eastern Mexico.
• Cuatro Cienegas Softshell, Apalone ater in Mexico

References

External links

• Tortoise.org Apalone entry
• Spiny Softshell Turtle - Apalone spinifera Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide