Nesting Softshell Turtle. Hal Scott Preserve.
by Chris Kusik
Title
Nesting Softshell Turtle. Hal Scott Preserve.
Artist
Chris Kusik
Medium
Photograph - Digital
Description
Softshells need warm sand for their eggs to incubate. I found this one about a
mile from water. It is quite a sight to see an aquatic reptile in the Florida Scrub which has dry desert like conditions. Softshells are very fast in the water as well as on land.They have a long neck, an elongated head, with a long snorkel-like nose. They grow rather large, with females attaining a length of 30 inches, and a weight of 40 to 100 pounds. They prefer still waters and can be found in ponds, streams, rivers, lakes and swamps. The softshell's diet consists of fish, frogs and other amphibians, insects, duck hatchlings and crustaceans. They can live up to 30 years in captivity, but their life spans are shorter in the wild. Softshells have the amazing ability to absorb oxygen from the water, allowing them to stay submerged for long periods of time. Hal Scott Preserve is in Orange County.
Uploaded
July 25th, 2012
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