Genus of turtles
Apalone is a genus of turtles in the family Trionychidae. The three species of "Apalone" are native to freshwater habitats in North America; they are the only living softshell turtles from the Americas (other American softshell turtles are only known from fossil remains).
Geographic range.
Most "Apalone" species are restricted to the United States, though the range of the spiny softshell, "A. spinifera", extends into southern Canada and northern Mexico.
Taxonomy.
"Apalone" is a fairly new classification, resurrected by Meylan in 1987, assigned to North American species of the genus "Trionyx". They are still listed as "Trionyx" in some texts. ("Trionyx" now refers specifically to certain softshell species found mainly in Africa.)
Sexual dimorphism.
Turtles of the genus "Apalone" exhibit marked sexual dimorphism. In carapace length, females grow to about twice the size of males. In males, the claws on the front feet are longer than those on the back feet, but in females, the claws on the back feet are longer. In males, the stout tail extends well beyond the posterior edge of the carapace, but in females, the relatively thinner tail barely reaches the edge of the carapace.
Behavior.
"Apalone" turtles are fast swimmers that chase down their prey in water. They feed mainly on fish. They also like the comfort of sand as their bedding.
Species.
The following three species are recognized as being valid.
"Nota bene": A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than "Apalone".
References.
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