. Annual report of the New York State College of Agriculture at Cornell University and the Agricultural Experiment Station. New York State College of Agriculture; Cornell University. Agricultural Experiment Station; Agriculture -- New York (State). Rural School Leaflet 1239 The spiny soft-shelled turtle is the only species in New York State. It has a series of spines on the front edge of the carapace, and can com- pletely retract the hcatl and the feet. In color it is olive brown, slaty, or greenish. On the carapace are round brown spots, each margined with a ring of black. These spots are lar
. Annual report of the New York State College of Agriculture at Cornell University and the Agricultural Experiment Station. New York State College of Agriculture; Cornell University. Agricultural Experiment Station; Agriculture -- New York (State). Rural School Leaflet 1239 The spiny soft-shelled turtle is the only species in New York State. It has a series of spines on the front edge of the carapace, and can com- pletely retract the hcatl and the feet. In color it is olive brown, slaty, or greenish. On the carapace are round brown spots, each margined with a ring of black. These spots are largest in the middle of the upper sheU. The under shell, or plastron, is pure white. The broadly webbed feet are white, spotted with black. The spiny soft-shelled turtle is common in the Central States and the Great Lakes region, and is occasionally found in New York State. It comes out of hibernation the last of March and throughout April. It may float on the surface of the water or, very commonly, bask on some floating log or perch. It seldom leaves the vicinity of water, is an excellent swimmer, and under water it can breathe as well as any fresh-water turtle. When danger approaches, no turtle is quicker to escape. It can bur\' itself in sand or mud in an incredil^ly short time, and, when tormented on land, can leap its whole length. When caught it is ferocious, and can give a savage bite. Its food is largely, if not solely, animal in nature and consists of insects, cra>^sh, small fish, and frogs. In June and Jul\- the shy female seeks the sandy or clayey edges of lakes and ponds, or sandy fields near swamps, and . , „ , . n \ • ^ oioK^ .soft-shelled turtle, natural deposits her eighteen to twenty-hve spheri- ^^3^; j,/,,/, i^.„ tj,„f,s larger cal eggs from six to eight inches deep in the earth. The eggs are about the size of those of the snapping turtle, one inch in diameter, or slightly larger. In August or early September the young appear, and about a month later
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