I knew there was such a thing as a spiny softshell turtle in Wisconsin but I’d never seen one until this year’s birdathon. I was trying to get a better look at a Warbling Vireo when a pointy noise caught my eye.
Spiny soft shell turtles have soft, flat shells with little spikes on them. This turtle was about 15 feet away and in a location that made it impossible to get a better look.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources “spiny softshells are often aggressive when seized, and can inflict painful bites. Both softshell species, especially juveniles and sub-adults, spend significant amounts of time buried in the substrate in shallow water, especially at night, to remain concealed while inactive. Spiny softshells feed on a variety of animals, including fish, invertebrates, mollusks and carrion.”
These funny-looking, apparently “bitey” turtles are one of 11 turtle species that live in Wisconsin and are common in most of the United States. The size of this one indicates it’s a female—they have much larger shells (carapace).
I returned to the same birding spot the following week and as I walked along the edge of a pond, I spotted another one of these interesting turtles. But before I could raise my camera it had launched into the water. As I continued to walk along, suddenly the ground was moving on the water’s edge and all you could hear was “Plop!” “Plop!” “Plop!” as at least a dozen spiny softshell turtles dove into the water to hide from me.
The National Wildlife Federation says, “These reptiles are also able to breathe underwater due to the pharyngeal lining, cloacal lining, and skin…They will bury themselves under a layer of mud at the bottom of a lake, with only their head sticking out, and catch prey as it passes by.”
Now that I know what I’m looking for and where they like to hang out, I hope to observe more of these fascinating creatures in the future!