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Hot: 29 to 32 °C
Cold: -3 to 4 °C
500 to 1K USD
1 to 15 PSI
Swimming: 10-15 Miles per hour (16-24 km/h)
Animal Type: Omnivores
One kind of freshwater turtle that is endemic to East Asia is the Chinese softshell turtle, scientifically known as Pelodiscus sinensis. The countries of China, Taiwan, Korea (both North and South), Vietnam, and Japan are all part of its native range. This species does very well in a wide variety of watery environments, including as swamps, rivers, lakes, and ponds. The Chinese softshell turtle is able to thrive in a variety of habitats, including saline waters close to the shore, attesting to its famed versatility.
Chinese softshell turtles are readily identifiable by their unique shape. To blend in with its muddy environment, it has a smooth, leathery carapace that is typically olive to brown in colour. Its carapace and plastron are devoid of the hard, bony scutes seen on most turtle species. A more streamlined body and this softshell construction provide for faster mobility and more flexibility in the water. The turtle is able to breathe when underwater due to its long neck and prominent snout, which are equipped with nostrils at the tip.
One of the most interesting freshwater turtle species, the Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) is indigenous to East Asia. Its native habitat includes parts of Japan, Vietnam, North and South Korea, Taiwan, and China. This species is well-known for its adaptability to a wide variety of water environments, including freshwater and saltwater rivers, lakes, ponds, marshes, and coastal brackish waterways. The durability and ecological plasticity of the Chinese softshell turtle are shown by its adaptation to varied environmental circumstances.
Chinese softshell turtles are readily identifiable by their unique shape. In its muddy settings, it blends in well thanks to its leathery, smooth carapace, which is typically olive to brown in colour. There are no hard, bony scutes on its carapace or plastron, unlike the majority of turtle species. The combination of a sleek body and this one-of-a-kind softshell construction makes for incredible mobility and ease of movement while swimming. Showing off its unique adaptations for a life in the water, it can breathe underwater thanks to its long neck and prominent snout, which are fitted with nostrils at the tip.