There are several different species of turtles in the ponds and marshes around Verandah. The strangest one is the Florida softshell turtle. I usually see these underwater in the ponds with their snorkel-like nose poked up through the water for air. It's breeding season for the turtles right now so it is common to see them on the grass and crossing the road.
The Florida soft-shell turtle has a flat shell that looks like a pancake. Unlike other turtles, the shell lacks scutes and is smooth and leathery. They are much larger than the painted turtles I am familiar with. They display sexual dimorphism with the females being much larger than the males. With oddly webbed feet, they are well adapted to an aquatic habitat. Underneath and from behind, they have a light, cream-colored skin.
One of the strangest features which I tried to capture with the camera is their nose. It's kind of a pig-shaped nose shaped like a snorkel. The neck is quite long when they extend it. Such an odd looking face!
The softshell turtle eats mollusks and fish, of which there are plenty in the ponds around here. As far as predators, alligators have been known to feed on them and their hatchlings are preyed upon by birds like herons. I read that they will often use vacant and even occupied alligator nests to lay their eggs. I'll be on the lookout this spring for hatchlings.
The Florida soft-shell turtle has a flat shell that looks like a pancake. Unlike other turtles, the shell lacks scutes and is smooth and leathery. They are much larger than the painted turtles I am familiar with. They display sexual dimorphism with the females being much larger than the males. With oddly webbed feet, they are well adapted to an aquatic habitat. Underneath and from behind, they have a light, cream-colored skin.
One of the strangest features which I tried to capture with the camera is their nose. It's kind of a pig-shaped nose shaped like a snorkel. The neck is quite long when they extend it. Such an odd looking face!
The softshell turtle eats mollusks and fish, of which there are plenty in the ponds around here. As far as predators, alligators have been known to feed on them and their hatchlings are preyed upon by birds like herons. I read that they will often use vacant and even occupied alligator nests to lay their eggs. I'll be on the lookout this spring for hatchlings.
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