Florida Softshell Turtle Diet

The florida softshell turtle is a large turtle with a flattened pancake like body a long neck an elongated head with a long snorkel like nose and large webbed feet each with three claws.
Florida softshell turtle diet. The kind of softshell turtle you choose will determine the size of tank you need. Their primary hunting method is ambush and they will bury themselves below the surface of the mud or sand and wait for small animals or fish to pass by. While most turtles have hard shells composed of scutes the florida softshell has a cartilaginous carapace covered in leathery skin. They hunt and chase down prey as well as scavenge.
The florida softshell turtle is a species of american freshwater turtles and is one of the 26 species of turtles found in florida. They are found primarily in the state of florida but they also range to southern sections of south carolina georgia alabama tennessee and texas. They are the largest of the new world softshell turtles with the most old world characteristics of the old world like its longitudinally wrinkled carapace tolerance for brackish water and relatively large size. The florida softshell is carnivorous and feeds on insects snails crustaceans amphibians and fish live and dead as well as aquatic plants and algae.
For instance the florida softshell turtle can weigh over 40 pounds and reach over 2 feet long requiring a large area to swim. Florida softshell turtle diet. They burrow into the mud near a bank or shore extending the snout to the surface for air and wait for frogs. Florida softshell turtles are native to the southeastern united states.
Diet of the softshell turtle most softshell turtle species are primarily carnivorous which means they eat mostly animals and rarely eat plant matter.