SREL Reprint #3567

Apalone ferox (Florida Softshell Turtle)

M. Kyle Brown and Tracey D. Tuberville

University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina 29802, USA

Introduction: Apalone ferox is one of the largest freshwater turtle species found in North America. Though primarily aquatic, they have been documented moving terrestrially for nesting and dispersal. Gopherus polyphemus (Gopher Tortoise) is a large, terrestrial tortoise found in the southeastern United States and is considered to be both an ecosystem engineer and keystone species because the large burrows they dig provide refuge for numerous species. Surveys and studies using wildlife cameras have led to the documentation of more than 350 species of vertebrates using G. polyphemus burrows and associated aprons (Dzadzio and Smith 1989. Southeast. Nat. 15:586–594; Catano and Stout 2015. Biodivers. Conserv. 24:1957–1974). However, to our knowledge, A. ferox has not been previously documented as a tortoise burrow visitor. Here we report the occurrence of A. ferox interacting with G. polyphemus and its burrow in coastal Georgia as captured by wildlife camera.

SREL Reprint #3567

Brown, M. K., and T. D. Tuberville. 2019. Apalone ferox (Florida Softshell Turtle). Behavior. Herpetological Review 50(2): 345-347.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).