Florida Softshell Turtle

• Florida softshell turtles are found on the coastal plains south of an imaginary line connecting Mobile Bay, Alabama, and Charleston, South Carolina, including all of Florida except the Keys
• Largest of the New World softshell turtles
• When swimming, they submerge and stick their noses out of the water like a snorkel
• Softshell turtles are capable of pharyngeal breathing. This means they can bypass lung breathing by taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide through a membrane that lines the throat, creating a direct gas exchange within the water. There is also some limited oxygen exchange through the skin. This is an important hibernation strategy

I do not own these images