NEWS

Midland Smooth Softshell Missouri Department of Conservation

By A Mystery Man Writer

The midland smooth softshell is a rather plain-looking softshell turtle. The front of the carapace (top shell) lacks any small bumps or spines, and the overall shell is quite smooth. The carapace may be olive gray or brown; males and young may have faint markings in the form of dots and dashes. Adult females have a mottled carapace with blotches of gray, olive, or brown. The plastron (lower shell) may be gray or cream colored and lacks any markings; however, the underlying bones are usually visible. The neck and limbs are olive or gray above, and white or cream colored below. A light stripe bordered by black extends backward from each eye along the sides of the head. Lacking a hard shell, softshells defend themselves by being fast swimmers. They also use their strong, sharp claws to defend themselves when picked up. They should be handled very carefully to avoid injury. Similar species: Missouri has two species of softshells. Both live primarily in rivers but also are known to occur in large reservoirs. Our other species, the spiny softshell (A. spinifera), has spines or bumps along the front edge of the upper shell.