Flagship Species - Eastern spiny softshell
A beer with a turtle on the bottle

The Eastern spiny softshell (Apalone spinifera spinifera) is a threatened freshwater turtle found in Canada in southern Quebec and Ontario, where it occurs discontinuously in the eastern and southwestern part of the province. Unlike most turtles we are familiar with, this species also known as the "pancake turtle" has a large flexible rather flat, leathery shell. It gets its name from the row of spiny projections present along the anterior edge of its olive-green carapace. Females grow larger than males and can reach up to 54 cm and weigh as much as 11.7 kg. A highly aquatic turtle, the Eastern spiny softshell is closely associated with large bodies of water such as lakes and rivers. Although secretive by nature, it can sometimes be seen basking on beaches, sandbars, logs and rocks along the shoreline. The large webbed feet allow the animal to swim effortlessly and quickly through the water. But the softshell is an ambush predator that will lie for hours buried in the bottom mud or sand waiting for a prey to come close rather than foraging abroad for food. Its long neck and elongated, tubular snout allow this turtle to breathe while almost fully submerged and virtually unseen, its nose gently disturbing the water surface as if to send out a silent SOS.

In Canada, the softshell was formerly found throughout the lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence watershed from upper St. Lawrence to lower Lake Huron including a number of tributaries. Although the range of the species seems not to have changed much from the historic distribution, the Canadian populations appears now increasingly isolated from each others. In Ontario, softshell turtles are known from the Thames and Sydenham Rivers, the Rondeau Provincial Park, the Long Point National Wildlife Area and a few other isolated areas. Although reliable population estimates are not yet available, current number of softshell turtles throughout Ontario are most probably below 2000, and less than 100 in Quebec.

Habitat loss and decreased availability of remaining habitats have most certainly led to a decline in numbers and fragmentation of the Eastern spiny softshell populations. In many rivers, extensive bank stabilization and urban and agricultural development along the shoreline have reduced access to critical basking and nesting areas. Remaining populations are currently threatened by human disturbance during critical activities and nest destruction by predators. Contrarily to the softshell turtle which activities are easily disrupted by human beings, the populations of raccoons and of many other turtle's predators have benefited from increased human presence.

The Eastern spiny softshell has been listed as threatened by the Committee On the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in 1991 (COSEWIC). Like most Ontario native turtles, the softshell is protected under the Ontario Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. This act forbids the collection of turtles for human consumption or the pet trade. It is also prohibited to possess or purchase specimens of this species. Recently, conservation efforts such as site rehabilitation and negotiations with individuals who own key spiny softshell turtle habitat have been undertaken and the results so far are encouraging. However, a higher level of protection of its critical habitat is expected with the adoption of the federal Species At Risk Act (SARA).

References

Fletcher, M.F., S. Graff, & S.D. Gillingwater. 1995. Site Specific Examination of Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle Populations on the Thames and Sydenham Rivers. Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, London, Ontario. 17 pp.

Fletcher, M.F. & S.D. Gillingwater. 1994. A Survey of the Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle Along the Thames and Sydenham Rivers 1994. St. Clair Region Conservation Authority, Strathroy, Ontario. 32 pp.

Campbell, C.A. 1991. Status report of the spiny softhsell turtle, Apalone spinifera, in Canada. Revised and updated by Martyn E. Obbard. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. 64 pp.

Other links:

.  Canadian Wildlife Service - RENEW
.  Royal Ontario museum
.  Upper Thames River Conserrvation Authority
.  Ecoaction - Ontario region
.  Wildlife Photography