Apalone spinifera

A spacious aquarium/aquatic pool with a fine-sand bottom and an accessible dry basking area.

Minimum dimensions for a large adult: a giant female needs, in practice, an indoor pool rather than a simple aquarium (tank length equal to several times the carapace length). Provide shallow zones: a buried animal reaches its neck up to the surface to breathe. REGULATORY STATUS: non-venomous and not CITES-listed; to date not on the EU list of invasive alien species of Union concern (EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation), but this list is being updated and several North American turtles appear on it — check the legislation in force before acquisition. Wild Canadian populations are protected (species at risk): any capture in the wild is prohibited there. Favour a captive-bred animal.

Aquatic species: air humidity is not a relevant parameter (a submerged animal). Nevertheless, provide a dry area for basking.

Fine sand is MANDATORY, several centimetres deep, to allow burrowing (essential for well-being and stress reduction). Ban gravel, coarse sand and abrasive décor, which injure the soft carapace and plastron and open the door to infections.

Yes — UVB is essential above the dry basking area (a suitable high-output UVB tube depending on the distance) for vitamin D synthesis and for bone and shell health.

Impeccable water and powerful filtration: softshell turtles are extremely sensitive to water quality — poor water causes fungal infections and shell rot. Regular water changes, undetectable ammonia and nitrites, gentle circulation. Provide deep zones for swimming and shallows for breathing at the surface effortlessly.

North America (central and eastern United States, southern Canada, north-eastern Mexico) — rivers, lakes and watercourses with sandy or muddy bottoms.

Carnivore — Crayfish and crustaceans, whole fish, molluscs, earthworms, insects and larvae.

An active hunter that snatches its prey from the sand thanks to its long neck. A varied meat-based diet; juveniles are more insectivorous. Avoid an excess of fatty fish, supplement with calcium, and feed in the water.

Clutch 9–38 eggs/young. Summer egg-laying in loose, sandy soil near the water; spherical eggs with a fragile, brittle shell. Incubation at moderate warmth. Breeding reserved for experienced keepers.

• Shell rot / ulceration (SCUD) of bacterial or fungal origin, promoted by poor water quality
• Fungal infections of the skin and the soft shell
• Abrasions and lesions from an unsuitable substrate (gravel), entry points for infection
• Respiratory infections (water too cold, draughts)
• Metabolic bone disease / vitamin D deficiency in the absence of sufficient UVB and calcium