Spiny Softshell Subspecies


    A:
      Concentric dark lines around rim of shell, adult male has ring-shaped spots, Y-shaped stripe on head. Coastal States from North Carolina to Mississippi.
      Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell, Trionyx spiniferus asper

    B:
      One dark line around shell rim, adult male has ring-shaped spots, found in states from New York to Tennessee.
      Eastern Spiny Softshell, Trionyx spiniferus spiniferus

    C:
      Shell covered in small dark spots. From Central to Western US, east to Arkansas.
      Western Spiny Softshell, Trionyx spiniferus hartwegi

    D:
      From Northern Texas, Louisiana, or Oklahoma.
      Pallid Spiny Softshell, Trionyx spiniferus pallidus

    E:
      Wide pale rim around edge of shell. From Rio Grande River in Texas or New Mexico.
      Texas Spiny Softshell, Trionyx spiniferus emoryi

    F:
      From Nueces or Guadalupe River, Texas.
      Guadalupe Spiny Softshell, Trionyx spiniferus guadalupensis

    Note: Often the only way to distinquish between subspecies of spiny softshelled turtles is by location. It is next to impossible to determine the identity of softshells purchased from pet stores.

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