Florida Softshell Turtle

I saw this guy walking in the middle of 4 lanes in Watersound this morning. He was likely displaced by construction of the new Medical Center and apartments that are underway. He was looking for water and was a hundred yards or so away from the entrance pond. I picked him up and carried him toward the pond. He was relaxed and watching. When he spotted the pond he started going nuts. I set him down and he sprinted to the water. Surprisingly fast!





Florida softshell turtle - Wikipedia

The Florida softshell turtle is a large turtle with a flattened, pancake-like body, a long neck, an elongated head with a long snorkel-like nose, and large webbed feet, each with three claws. While most turtles have hard shells composed of Scutes, the Florida softshell has a cartilaginous carapace covered in leathery skin. Ranging from olive green to dark brown, it has the darkest coloration of all the softshell species that inhabit Florida...