Original range | Current range | Estimated population | Threats to survival | Species recovery | Species recovery

Description: This distinctive freshwater turtle is also known as the pig-nosed rubber-backed turtle, thanks to a long snout that acts as a snorkel and a leathery shell, quite different from the hard shell found on most turtles.

Its olive or tan coloured shell is quite flat and round and marked with dark blotches. Inconspicuous spiny projections are found along the front edge. Males and young turtles have rough dorsal shells, while those of the adult female are smooth. The head and limbs are marked with dark spots and yellowish-green stripes.

Females are bigger than males, measuring 18 to 42 cm and weighing as much as 12 kg. In comparison, males measure between 12 and 24 cm.

Spiny softshells need sand or gravel nesting areas that are close to the water and relatively free of vegetation. They also require shallow muddy or sandy areas to bury in, deep pools for hibernation during the winter, and basking areas. They feed on crayfish and molluscs and can travel up to 30 km a year.

It takes 12 years for a female to become sexually mature. Eggs are laid in June and July in sandy areas, with an average of 20 eggs in a clutch. Unlike most turtle eggs, they have hard shells.

Original range: Historically, spiny softshells have been found from the Great Lakes Basin south to the Gulf of Mexico.

Current range: While these turtles were once widely distributed in Canada, today there are only two remaining breeding sites in Ontario and one in Quebec. In Ontario, they are found in the southwest corner of the province, clustered around the Thames and Sydenham rivers and at two sites on Lake Erie. On the Quebec/Ontario border, they are found in southwest Quebec and in the Ottawa River region.

Estimated population: Prior to 1985, the Ontario population was estimated to be between 1000 to 2000. Now, it's dropped to between 800 and 1000, and spiny softshells have been classified as a threatened species under COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada).

Threats to survival: The major threat to these turtles is humans. Their nesting areas are often beaches, where recreational activities can cause high egg mortality. Adult are often killed or injured by collisions with boats, while water pollution and urban and agricultural development along shorelines threaten their habitat. Predators such as raccoons and foxes are also taking a toll, wiping out all the nests at one Ontario location in 2004, and sarcophagic flies are known to feed on the eggs.

Species recovery: A recovery team has been studying the distribution and status of softshell turtle populations in Ontario and Quebec and is now developing a recovery action plan. Through the Canadian Collection, Wildlife Preservation Canada is supporting M.Sc. candidate Ryan Bolton who is studying nesting requirements and characteristics of these turtles. He will be providing predator exclusion cages around the nests to protect the eggs and young, studying the impact on egg or embryo mortality of the sacrophagic flies, and experimenting with artificial nests. Ryan's research and findings will be incorporated into the recovery plan for the turtle.