Waiting room.


This is a spiny soft shelled turtle that we saw yesterday.














It was probably waiting to come up on the beach to lay its eggs.
They tend to be shy at the best of times so it was unusual for it to swim in beside the boat.

Look closely and you can see the water rolling off its shell.












Apalone spinifera

The spiny softshell has a leathery shell lacking bony plates, and some say this turtle resembles a pancake with legs.

The spiny softshell is currently listed as Threatened under the Ontario Endangered Species Act, 2007 and Threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act. The species has also been designated as a Specially Protected Reptile under the Ontario Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act.

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