Chinese softshell turtle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chinese softshell turtle
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
CITES Appendix II (CITES)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Pelodiscus
Species:	sinensis
Synonyms
See text

The Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) is a type of softshell turtle. It naturally lives in mainland China (from Inner Mongolia to Guangxi, including Hong Kong) and Taiwan. You can also find them in many other Asian countries, and even in Spain, Brazil, and Hawaii. This is because some turtles escaped and started new groups there.

Turtles from places like Northeast China, Russia, Korea, and Japan used to be thought of as the same species. But now, scientists know they are different. For example, the northern Chinese softshell turtle (P. maackii) is a separate species. Also, some turtles in Guangxi and Hunan, and in Vietnam, are now known as the lesser Chinese softshell turtle (P. parviformis) and Hunan softshell turtle (P. axenaria).

The Chinese softshell turtle is a vulnerable species. This means its numbers are going down. They face problems like diseases, losing their homes (habitat loss), and being collected for food, like turtle soup. To help with the demand for food, millions of these turtles are now raised on farms, especially in China. This makes them the most important turtle for the economy around the world.

What Does It Look Like?

Female Chinese softshell turtles can grow up to 33 centimeters (about 13 inches) long. Males are a bit smaller, reaching about 27 centimeters (about 10.5 inches). Males also have longer tails than females. These turtles become adults when their shell is about 18-19 centimeters (about 7-7.5 inches) long.

They have webbed feet, which help them swim well. They are called "softshell" turtles because their top shell, called a carapace, does not have hard, bony scales. Instead, their shell is leathery and flexible, especially on the sides. The middle part of their shell has strong bone, like other turtles. But the outer edges are lighter and more flexible. This light shell helps them move easily in water or muddy lake bottoms.

The top shell of these turtles is usually olive green. It might have dark spots. Their bottom shell, called a plastron, is orange-red and can also have large dark spots. Their legs and head are olive green on top. Their front legs are lighter, and their back legs are orange-red underneath. They have dark specks on their head and dark lines around their eyes. Their throat is spotty, and their lips might have small, dark lines. You can also see two dark spots in front of their tail and a black band on the back of each thigh.

Where Do They Live?

A Chinese softshell turtle

Native Homes

The Chinese softshell turtle is originally from Taiwan and many parts of China. This includes provinces like Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, and Zhejiang.

Turtles from Northeast China, Russia, Korea, and Japan used to be considered the same species. But now, they are known as the Amur softshell turtle (P. maackii). Also, turtles in Vietnam and Hainan Island are now called the spotted softshell turtle (P. variegatus). There are also other types of softshell turtles in Guangxi, Hunan, and Anhui. These include the lesser Chinese softshell turtle (P. parviformis), Hunan softshell turtle (P. axenaria), and Huangshan softshell turtle (P. huangshanensis).

It's hard to know exactly where these turtles originally lived. This is because people have used them for food and medicine for a very long time. As people moved, they often brought the turtles with them.

Where Else Are They Found?

Outside of China, some Chinese softshell turtles have escaped and started new groups. You can find them in many Asian countries. This includes parts of Japan, South Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and many islands in the Philippines and Indonesia. Outside of Asia, they have been seen in Brazil, Spain, and even in places like Guam and Hawaii in the United States.

What Kind of Habitat Do They Like?

Chinese softshell turtles live in both fresh water and slightly salty water (called brackish water). In China, they live in rivers, lakes, ponds, canals, and small streams where the water moves slowly. In Hawaii, they can be found in marshes and drainage ditches.

How Do They Live?

What Do They Eat?

These turtles mostly eat meat. Scientists have found parts of fish, crabs, snails, insects, and seeds from marsh plants in their stomachs.

How Do They Move and Breathe?

With their long snout and tube-like nostrils, these turtles can "snorkel" in shallow water. When they want to rest, they lie at the bottom. They often bury themselves in sand or mud. They just lift their head to breathe or to quickly grab food. They don't spend much time basking in the sun like some other turtles.

Chinese softshell turtles often put their heads underwater. This is because they have a special ability. They can get rid of waste (called urea) from their mouths. This helps them live in slightly salty water. Instead of peeing to get rid of urea, which makes them lose a lot of water, they just rinse their mouths in the water.

If they feel threatened, some of these turtles can release a bad-smelling liquid from small holes on the front edge of their shells.

Life Cycle and Reproduction

These turtles become old enough to have babies when they are about 4 to 6 years old. They mate either on the surface of the water or underwater. The male holds onto the female's shell with his front legs. He might also gently bite her head, neck, or legs. Females can store the male's sperm for almost a year after mating.

Females lay between 8 and 30 eggs at a time. They can lay 2 to 5 groups of eggs each year. The eggs are laid in a nest that is about 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm) wide at the opening. The eggs are round and about 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) across. After about 60 days, the eggs hatch. This time can be shorter or longer depending on the temperature. When they hatch, the baby turtles are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long and wide. The temperature during incubation does not decide if the babies will be male or female.

Health Issues

In turtle farms, Chinese softshell turtles are getting sick more often from different types of bacteria. In 2012, they were the first turtle species to have a big outbreak of a disease called bacterial softshell disease. This made them grow slower and many died. This caused problems for the turtles and also big money losses for the turtle farming business. Different types of bacteria have been found to cause these diseases.

Protecting Them

Wild groups of Chinese softshell turtles are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. This means they are at risk of disappearing. However, when many P. sinensis are raised on farms and then released, they can mix with other unique types of Pelodiscus turtles. Some of these other types might even be their own special species. This mixing can change the natural genes of these unique turtles, which is a concern for their survival.

Turtles and People

The Chinese softshell turtle is the most common type of turtle raised on farms in China. Data from 684 Chinese turtle farms showed they sold over 91 million of these turtles every year. Since these farms were less than half of all the registered turtle farms in China, the total number sold across the country could be more than twice as high!

These turtles are seen as a special food in many parts of Asia. Turtle soup is made from this species. In Japan, they might be cooked with hōtō noodles and served as a warm meal in winter. Many Koreans, even today, generally avoid eating turtles. This comes from old Korean beliefs.

These turtles can get hurt if they are dropped or hit. They can also get shell fungus. In Europe, these turtles are popular pets, especially in countries like Italy and the Czech Republic. Pet Chinese softshell turtles will eat canned and fresh fish, canned dog food, raw beef, mice, frogs, and chicken. However, they usually don't eat regular turtle food. They can give a painful bite if they feel threatened, but they usually let go after a short time.

In Pop Culture

In a 2018 interview, Nintendo character designer Yōichi Kotabe said that the Chinese softshell turtle helped inspire the design for Bowser. Bowser is the main bad guy in the Mario games. Kotabe chose this turtle because of its strong and aggressive nature.

Other Names for This Turtle

Many different names have been used for this species over time:

Genetics

Scientists studied the genes of Pelodiscus sinensis in 2013. They did this to learn more about how softshell turtles develop and how their unique body shape evolved.