What Does a Softshell Turtle Eat?

Written by Arlene Mckanic
Published: November 27, 2023
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Most softshell turtles belong to the Trionychidae family and are spread across about 13 genera. Their shells lack the hard, horny scutes of other turtles and tortoises. Instead, their carapaces are lightweight, with a leathery texture, and can be flexible. These qualities allow the animal to move easily underwater. Most softshell turtles can still retract their head and legs into their shells. They are carnivores or omnivores, and the females tend to be larger than the males, though the tail of the male is longer. Some softshell turtles are popular pets. So, what does a softshell turtle eat? Here are 10 softshell turtles and what they eat.

1. Chinese Softshell Turtle

The Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)

This turtle is in great demand for turtle soup, and its conservation status is vulnerable.

©Komodo Studios/Shutterstock.com

Native to China and Taiwan, Pelodiscus sinensis females can grow to 12.9 inches long with the males growing to about 11 inches. It is popularly used in turtle soup and this, along with habitat destruction and disease is why this turtle’s conservation status is vulnerable. The top of the Chinese softshell is olive brown, sometimes with darker blotches, and their ventral area is orange red. The plastron may also bear black or dark brown blotches. The Chinese softshell turtle eats crustaceans, insects, fish, and mollusks. They also eat the seeds of aquatic plants.

2. Asiatic Softshell Turtle

Common softshell turtle or asiatic softshell turtle isolated on white background

The Asiatic softshell turtle is the only turtle in the

Amyda

genus.

©Le Manh Thang/Shutterstock.com

This turtle, Amyda cartilaginea, is another whose conservation status is vulnerable. It’s the only turtle in the Amyda genus, and it has two subspecies. Amyda cartilaginea is found in Southeast Asia. Its shell can range between 27.6 to 31.5 inches long, and it usually weighs between 33 and 55 pounds, though there are reports of much heavier animals. Its colors range from greenish brown to olive, with a black or brown head dotted with yellow. It has a long snout that lets the reptile breathe air when it’s submerged.

The Asiatic softshell turtle eats both plants and animals and indulges in amphibians, crustaceans, insects, eggs, and worms. It will even scavenge dead birds. Plant material eaten by the turtle includes seeds, nuts, and berries, especially the seeds of plants that grow in the freshwater marsh where it lives. This turtle usually hunts and eats at night.

3. Indian Softshell Turtle

Indian Softshell Turtle aka Gangetic Softshell turtle, Nilssonia gangetica, sun bathing on a rock on the bank of Mahanadi River, with copy space

You can find this turtle in temple ponds, where it’s treated as sacred.

©S Roy Choudhury/Shutterstock.com

Also called the Ganges softshell turtle, Nilssonia gangetica is native to South Asia and gets its name because it’s found in the Ganges River. It’s also found in the Mahanadi and Indus Rivers and the Babi River in Nepal. Its conservation status is endangered.

N. gangetica’s carapace is notably flat, can be 37 inches long, and is olive green or grass green with a yellow edge. The plastron is gray or cream, and the wide head is green with black stripes. Like many members of the Trionychidae family it has a snout like a snorkel and a long neck. The snout lets the animal breathe even when most of it is underwater, and the shape of its shell makes it hydrodynamic.

The Indian softshell turtle lives in streams, lakes, ponds, and even man-made canals. Unlike some softshell turtles, it does best in turbid water with muddy or sandy bottoms. You’ll also find this turtle in Orissa’s temple ponds. There, the turtles are considered a sacred animal. Part II of Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act also makes owning this turtle a crime.

N. gangetica is an omnivore, and it eats insects, amphibians, fish, mollusks, and water birds. It also scavenges and eats aquatic plants.

4. Yangtze Giant

Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle. This species of turtle is considered the rarest turtle in the world. Only three individuals were known to exist as of 2021—one in China and two in Vietnam

The Yangtze giant softshell turtle is the rarest turtle on earth. Only three are left as of 2023.

©Tharuka Wanniarachchi/Shutterstock.com

This turtle, whose scientific name is Rafetus swinhoei, is also native to China and is probably the world’s biggest freshwater turtle. With only three turtles left in the world, it is so critically endangered that it might as well be considered extinct.

The Yangtze giant softshell turtle grows to about 39 inches long and 28 inches wide with a silvery gray carapace. It can weigh between 150 and 200 pounds, and there are tales of turtles that weighed twice as much. The head of the reptile is interesting, for its eyes are at the very top of its head, and its snout reminds people of the snout of a pig. It can live to be more than 100 years old and is omnivorous. Its diet is made up of snails, frogs, crabs, and water weeds.

5. Black Softshell Turtle

Close up view of Black softshell turtle

This turtle was once on the brink of extinction.

©Paulose NK/Shutterstock.com

Also called the Bostami turtle, this reptile is found in the freshwaters of India and Bangladesh. Like the Yangtze giant turtle, Nilssonia nigricans was once on the brink of extinction but was brought back through conservation practices.

The black softshell turtle ranges between 13 and 28 inches long and 15 to 31 inches wide. Females weigh on average, 120 pounds. Its skin is dark brown or black and may be spotted with yellow or white. Some observers claim that these turtles can live as long as 150 years, though mortality for hatchlings is high. These turtles are omnivores and in the wild, they’ll eat worms, fish, insects, or other small animals. However, since they are often found close to human habitation or live in sacred ponds, they’re usually fed by humans. Humans feed the turtles bits of meat, fruit, or grain.

6. Asian Giant Softshell Turtle

Southeast asian soft-shelled turtle in the green grass background. The head, neck and nose are long.

This turtle eats small aquatic animals and aquatic plants.

©Piyachanok Raungpaka/Shutterstock.com

Also known as the frog-faced softshell turtle, this large and flat beast found in the sluggish freshwater rivers of Southeast Asia is also critically endangered due to habitat destruction. Its scientific name is Pelochelys cantorii.

The Asian giant softshell turtle grows between 28 and 39 inches long and can weigh up to 220 pounds. It has a wide head, tiny eyes, and a smooth mud-colored carapace. It digs itself into the river bottom with only its eyes and mouth uncovered and comes up two times a day to breathe. It’s an ambush predator and eats fish, mollusks, and crustaceans even though it also eats aquatic plants.

7. Florida Softshell Turtle

Florida Softshell Turtle in the Florida Everglades

Some people keep these turtles as pets.

©Andy Lidstone/Shutterstock.com

Popular as a pet, Apalone ferox is between 5.9 and 30 inches long, with females being much bigger than males. It’s known for its unusually long neck and three clawed webbed feet. Like many other softshell turtles, it has a snorkel-like nose. The turtle spends most of its life in the water and only comes out to bask in the sun or lay as many as 20 eggs, sometimes in unoccupied alligator nests.

The shell’s color ranges from olive to dark brown, and it has a white or cream plastron. The Florida softshell can live as long as 50 years and is a popular pet. As its name states, this turtle is native to Florida but is also found in parts of South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. It’s found in all types of bodies of slow or still fresh water from lakes to marshes to irrigation ditches.

The Florida softshell turtle is an omnivore but prefers animal protein. It’s an ambush predator and takes insects, frogs, mollusks, freshwater crustaceans, snails, and turtles smaller than it is. It also eats snakes and will sometimes eat waterbirds. The turtle also scavenges and eats grains, seeds, nuts, leaves, and algae.

8. Spiny Softshell Turtle

Spiny Soft Shell Turtle Leatherback

You can just see the spines on the carapace of this turtle.

©QuinnKeon/Shutterstock.com

Another member of the Apalone genus, A. spinifera gets its name from the projections at the front of its carapace. This turtle is widespread throughout the United States, with some populations in Canada and Mexico, and its conservation status is least concern. It’s found in all kinds of freshwater habitats but prefers slow-moving bodies of water with sandy bottoms and banks.

The spiny softshell turtle’s upper shell is yellowish brown, brown, or olive while the plastron is yellow or white. The larger females grow darker over the years, and their carapaces develop attractive blotches. The spiny softshell turtle has six subspecies, and coloration also depends on the subspecies. The turtle’s carapace is between 7 and 21 inches long, and you’ll see the spines more often in males.

A. spinifera is an omnivore but much prefers animals, especially invertebrates such as crayfish, water bugs, caddisfly larvae, and other aquatic insects. They’ll also eat fish and mussels. They either hunt or wait submerged in the sand until prey swims by. They also eat algae and aquatic plants.

9. Smooth Softshell Turtle

Male Smooth Softshell turtle (Apalone mutica) swimming under water close-up, Mississippi
Apalone mutica

is endemic to the United States.

©Gabbie Berry/Shutterstock.com

This softshell turtle, A. mutica, is only found in the United States, specifically in the Mississippi River system, which can be as far east as western Pennsylvania. Unlike many other softshell turtles, the smooth softshell turtle likes water with strong currents, though it also thrives in the still waters of lakes and ponds. These bodies of water need to be clean, with sandy bottoms and sandy banks.

Female smooth softshell turtles have a carapace that’s between 6.5 to 14 inches long, while the males have a shell that’s 4.5 to 10.5 inches long. The carapace is oval, and ranges in color from olive green to olive, though most turtles have carapaces that are shades of brown or gray. The carapace also has blotches, spots or streaks.

Smooth softshell turtles are carnivorous and eat a wide range of animals. These include spiders, mollusks, snails, fish, amphibians, worms, and other invertebrates. It also eats caterpillars and grubs. Now and then the turtle eats vegetation such as algae, seeds, stems, nuts, fruit, and even potatoes if they can find them. Unlike other softshell turtles, A. mutica hunts on land as well as in the water. Like the spiny softshell turtle, this turtle’s conservation status is least concern.

10. Honorable Mention: Leatherback Sea Turtle

leatherback turtle

The leatherback

sea turtle

is the biggest turtle on earth.

©Stephanie Rousseau/Shutterstock.com

The leatherback sea turtle doesn’t belong to the Trionychidae family but is a member of the Dermochelyidae family. This marine turtle is the only extant animal in the entire family. Its shell is “soft” to allow it to visit the depths of the ocean where it hunts. It’s the only seafaring turtle that has a “soft” shell. The shell is made up of bones arranged beneath the animal’s skin, which is dark brown or black and has the look and texture of leather. This gives the animal its name.

Dermochelys coriacea is the largest living turtle on earth. Its carapace can be nearly 6 feet long, its entire body can be over 7 feet long, and it can weigh over half a ton. When it comes to reptiles, only crocodilians are larger and heavier. The leatherback sea turtle is also unusual for a reptile in that it appears to be warm-blooded.

The turtle is famous for eating jellyfish and related animals called salps. It takes other animals that are easy to eat such as small fish, small squid, octopi, and sea snails. Leatherbacks eat these creatures because they don’t have powerful jaws that can handle large prey with hard shells. However, the turtle’s jaws are sharp-edged, and its esophagus is full of spines that make sure that their prey heads straight to its digestive system.

The leatherback is found in oceans all around the world, but its conservation status is vulnerable due to human activity such as poaching eggs, being hit by seafaring vessels, pollution that makes the turtle mistake floating plastic bags for jellyfish, and even light pollution that disorients hatchlings.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/jtstewartphoto


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About the Author

Arlene Mckanic is a writer for A-Z Animals whose focus is on plants and animals of all kinds, from ants to elephants. She has a Bachelor's Degree from City College of New York. A resident of South Carolina, she loves gardening and though she doesn't have pets, a black racer snake does live in her kitchen.

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