Apalone

Genus of turtles

Apalone

Temporal range: Late Miocene \- recent, 12–0 Ma

PreꞒ

Possible Eocene and Late Cretaceous occurrence

Spiny softshell turtle, Apalone spinifera
Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Reptilia
Order:  | Testudines
Suborder:  | Cryptodira
Family:  | Trionychidae
Subfamily:  | Trionychinae
Genus:  | Apalone
Rafinesque, 1832
Species

3 recognized species, see article.

Synonyms

Mesodeca Rafinesque, 1832
Platypeltis Fitzinger, 1835
Glalypeltis Cope, 1860 (ex errore)
Callinia Gray, 1869
Euamyda Stejneger, 1944
Platyrettis Kirsch, 1944 (ex errore)[1]

Apalone is a genus of turtles in the family Trionychidae. The three species of Apalone are native to freshwater habitats in North America; they are the only living softshell turtles from the Americas (other American softshell turtles are only known from fossil remains).[2]

## Geographic range

[edit]

Most Apalone species are restricted to the United States, though the range of the spiny softshell, A. spinifera, extends into southern Canada and northern Mexico.

Fossil evidence suggests that Apalone may have reached as far south as Costa Rica during the Pliocene.[2]

## Taxonomy

[edit]

Apalone is a fairly new classification, resurrected by Meylan in 1987,[3] assigned to North American species of the genus Trionyx. They are still listed as Trionyx in some texts. (Trionyx now refers specifically to certain softshell species found mainly in Africa.)

Molecular phylogenetic studies generally suggest that Apalone is most closely related to the highly endangered Asian genus Rafetus, with the two genera most likely diverging during the Late Eocene. The ancestral Apalone most likely crossed from Asia into North America via Beringia, taking advantage of the warm climate during the Eocene.[4][5]

### Species

[edit]

The following three species are recognized as being valid.[6]

* Apalone ferox (Schneider, 1783) – Florida softshell turtle - South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama
* Apalone mutica (Lesueur, 1827) – smooth softshell turtle - United States, east of the Rocky Mountains
* Apalone spinifera (Lesueur, 1827) – spiny softshell turtle - Canada (southern Ontario and Quebec), most of the United States, and northeastern Mexico.

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Apalone.

#### Fossil taxa

[edit]

One definitive fossil species is also known, A. amorense Valdes, Bourque & Vitek, 2017 from the late Miocene (late Clarendonian) of Florida (Alachua Formation).[7]

In addition, two other potential fossil species, generally placed in "Trionyx" sensu lato, may belong to Apalone: Apalone latus (Gilmore, 1919) from the Campanian-aged Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, Canada and Apalone leucopotamica (Cope, 1891) from the late Eocene-aged Cypress Hills Formation of Saskatchewan. These two species are much older than any other remains assigned to Apalone, and even predate the presumed divergence of the genus based on molecular phylogenies. However, none of these have been rigorously tested, and the placement of these genera within Apalone may just be a result of homoplasy.[2][7]

## Sexual dimorphism

[edit]

Turtles of the genus Apalone exhibit marked sexual dimorphism. In carapace length, females grow to about twice the size of males. In males, the claws on the front feet are longer than those on the back feet, but in females, the claws on the back feet are longer. In males, the stout tail extends well beyond the posterior edge of the carapace, but in females, the relatively thinner tail barely reaches the edge of the carapace.[8]

## Behavior

[edit]

Apalone turtles are fast swimmers that chase down their prey in water. They feed mainly on fish. They also like the comfort of sand as their bedding.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). Checklist of Chelonians of the World. Dresden: Museum für Tierkunde Dresden.
2. ^ a b c Vitek, Natasha S.; Joyce, Walter G. (2015). "A Review of the Fossil Record of New World Turtles of the Clade Pan-Trionychidae". Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. 56 (2): 185–244\. doi:10.3374/014.056.0204. ISSN 0079-032X. S2CID 86006102.185-244&rft.date=2015&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:86006102#id-name=S2CID&rft.issn=0079-032X&rft_id=info:doi/10.3374/014.056.0204&rft.aulast=Vitek&rft.aufirst=Natasha+S.&rft.au=Joyce,+Walter+G.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Apalone" class="Z3988">
3. ^ Meylan PA (1987). "The phylogenetic relationships of soft-shelled turtles (family Trionychidae)". Bull. American Mus. Nat. Hist. 186: 1-101.
4. ^ Le, Minh; Duong, Ha T.; Dinh, Long D.; Nguyen, Truong Q.; Pritchard, Peter C. H.; McCormack, Timothy (2014-09-01). "A phylogeny of softshell turtles (Testudines: Trionychidae) with reference to the taxonomic status of the critically endangered, giant softshell turtle, Rafetus swinhoei". Organisms Diversity & Evolution. 14 (3): 279–293\. Bibcode:2014ODivE..14..279L. doi:10.1007/s13127-014-0169-3. ISSN 1618-1077.279-293&rft.date=2014-09-01&rft.issn=1618-1077&rft_id=info:doi/10.1007/s13127-014-0169-3&rft_id=info:bibcode/2014ODivE..14..279L&rft.aulast=Le&rft.aufirst=Minh&rft.au=Duong,+Ha+T.&rft.au=Dinh,+Long+D.&rft.au=Nguyen,+Truong+Q.&rft.au=Pritchard,+Peter+C.+H.&rft.au=McCormack,+Timothy&rft_id=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13127-014-0169-3&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Apalone" class="Z3988">
5. ^ Thomson, Robert C.; Spinks, Phillip Q.; Shaffer, H. Bradley (2021-02-16). "A global phylogeny of turtles reveals a burst of climate-associated diversification on continental margins". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118 (7): e2012215118. Bibcode:2021PNAS..11812215T. doi:10.1073/pnas.2012215118. PMC 7896334. PMID 33558231.
6. ^ "Apalone ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
7. ^ a b Valdes, Natalí; Bourque, Jason; Vitek, Natasha (2017-10-08). "A new soft-shelled turtle (Trionychidae, Apalone) from the Late Miocene of north-central Florida". Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History. 55 (6): 117–138\. doi:10.58782/flmnh.mclw7941. ISSN 2373-9991.117-138&rft.date=2017-10-08&rft_id=info:doi/10.58782/flmnh.mclw7941&rft.issn=2373-9991&rft.aulast=Valdes&rft.aufirst=Natalí&rft.au=Bourque,+Jason&rft.au=Vitek,+Natasha&rft_id=https://flmnhbulletin.com/index.php/flmnh/article/view/flmnh-vol55-no6&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Apalone" class="Z3988">
8. ^ Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. ISBN 0-307-13666-3. (SOFTSHELL TURTLES—family Trionychidae, p. 30).

## Further reading

[edit]

* Rafinesque CS (1832). "Description of two new genera of Soft Shell Turtles of North America". Atlantic Journal and Friend of Knowledge 1: 64–65. (Apalone, new genus, p. 64).

## External links

[edit]

* Genus Apolone at The Reptile Database
* Tortoise.org Apalone entry
* Spiny Softshell Turtle - Apalone spinifera Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide

* v
* t
* e

Trionychidae family

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Reptilia
* Subclass: Anapsida
* Order: Testudines
* Superfamily: Trionychia

Genera|

Species of the Trionychidae family

Amyda|

* Asiatic softshell turtle
* †Amyda gregaria
* Amyda ornata

Apalone|

* Florida softshell turtle
* Smooth softshell turtle
* Spiny softshell turtle

†Axestemys|

* †Axestemys byssina
* †Axestemys cerevisia
* †Axestemys montinsana
* †Axestemys quinni
* †Axestemys splendida
* †Axestemys vittata

Chitra|

* Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle
* Burmese narrow-headed softshell turtle
* Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle

Cyclanorbis|

* Nubian flapshell turtle
* Senegal flapshell turtle

Cycloderma|

* Aubry's flapshell turtle
* Zambezi flapshell turtle

Dogania|

* Malayan softshell turtle

†Gilmoremys|

* †Gilmoremys gettyspherensis
* †Gilmoremys lancensis

†Hutchemys|

* †Hutchemys arctochelys
* †Hutchemys rememdium
* †Hutchemys tetanetron
* †Hutchemys sterea
* †Hutchemys acupictus

†Khunnuchelys|

* †Khunnuchelys erinhotensis
* †Khunnuchelys kizylkumensis
* †Khunnuchelys lophorhothon

Lissemys|

* Burmese flapshell turtle
* Indian flapshell turtle
* Sri Lankan flapshell turtle

Nilssonia|

* Black softshell turtle
* Burmese peacock softshell
* Indian softshell turtle
* Indian peacock softshell turtle
* Leith's softshell turtle

†Palaeoamyda|

* †Palaeoamyda messeliana

Palea|

* Wattle-necked softshell turtle

Pelochelys|

* Asian giant softshell turtle
* New Guinea giant softshell turtle
* Northern New Guinea giant softshell turtle

Pelodiscus|

* Chinese softshell turtle
* Hunan softshell turtle
* Lesser Chinese softshell turtle
* Northern Chinese softshell turtle
* Spotted softshell turtle

Rafetus|

* Euphrates softshell turtle
* Yangtze giant softshell turtle

Trionyx|

* African softshell turtle
* †Trionyx ikoviensis
* †Trionyx kansaiensis

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. †=extinct.

* v
* t
* e

Testudines

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Reptilia
* Clade: Diapsida
* Order: Testudines

Suborder|

| Superfamily|

| Family|

Genus

Cryptodira|

| Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)|

| Cheloniidae|

* †Allopleuron
* Caretta
* †Carolinochelys
* Chelonia
* †Eochelone
* Eretmochelys
* †Gigantatypus
* †Glarichelys
* †Itilochelys
* Lepidochelys
* †Mexichelys
* †Miocaretta
* Natator
* †Pacifichelys
* †Syllomus
* †Tasbacka

|

Dermochelyidae|

* †Arabemys
* †Corsochelys
* †Cosmochelys
* Dermochelys
* †Eosphargis
* †Mesodermochelys
* †Psephophorus

* †Euclastes
* †Peritresius
* †Procolpochelys
* †Protosphargis
* †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea|

| Dermatemydidae|

* Dermatemys

|

Kinosternidae|

* Claudius
* †Hoplochelys
* Kinosternon
* Staurotypus
* Sternotherus

Testudinoidea|

| Emydidae|

* †Acherontemys
* Chrysemys
* Clemmys
* Deirochelys
* Emys
* Actinemys
* Emydoidea
* Glyptemys
* Graptemys
* Malaclemys
* Pseudemys
* Terrapene
* Trachemys
* †Wilburemys

|

Geoemydidae|

* Batagur
* †Banhxeochelys
* Cuora
* Cyclemys
* Geoclemys
* Geoemyda
* Hardella
* Heosemys
* Leucocephalon
* Malayemys
* Mauremys
* Melanochelys
* Morenia
* Notochelys
* Orlitia
* Pangshura
* Rhinoclemmys
* Sacalia
* Siebenrockiella
* Vijayachelys

Platysternidae|

* Platysternon

Testudinidae|

* Aldabrachelys
* Astrochelys
* Centrochelys
* Chelonoidis
* Chersina
* Cylindraspis
* †Cymatholcus
* †Floridemys
* Geochelone
* Gopherus
* †Hadrianus
* †Hesperotestudo
* Homopus
* Indotestudo
* Kinixys
* Malacochersus
* Manouria
* †Megalochelys
* †Oligopherus
* Psammobates
* Pyxis
* †Solitudo
* Stigmochelys
* †Stylemys
* Testudo

Trionychia|

| Carettochelyidae|

* †Allaeochelys
* †Anosteira
* Carettochelys

|

Trionychidae|

* Amyda
* Apalone
* †Axestemys
* Chitra
* Cyclanorbis
* Cycloderma
* †Drazinderetes
* Dogania
* †Gilmoremys
* †Hutchemys
* †Khunnuchelys
* Lissemys
* Nilssonia
* Palea
* †Palaeoamyda
* Pelochelys
* Pelodiscus
* Rafetus
* Trionyx

* †Basilochelys
* †Sinaspideretes

| Chelydridae|

* Chelydra
* †Chelydrops
* †Chelydropsis
* †Emarginachelys
* †Macrocephalochelys
* Macrochelys
* †Planiplastron
* †Protochelydra

|

†Nanhsiungchelyidae|

* †Anomalochelys
* †Basilemys
* †Jiangxichelys

†Protostegidae|

* †Alienochelys
* †Archelon
* †Atlantochelys
* †Bouliachelys
* †Calcarichelys
* †Cratochelone
* †Desmatochelys
* †Iserosaurus
* †Notochelone
* †Ocepechelon
* †Pneumatoarthrus
* †Protostega
* †Rhinochelys
* †Santanachelys
* †Terlinguachelys

* †Adocus
* †Argillochelys
* †Bashuchelys
* †Ctenochelys
* †Prionochelys
* †Toxochelys

Pleurodira|

|  |

| †Araripemydidae|

* †Araripemys

|

†Bothremydidae|

* †Araiochelys
* †Arenila
* †Azabbaremys
* †Bothremys
* †Cearachelys
* †Chedighaii
* †Chupacabrachelys
* †Eotaphrosphys
* †Foxemys
* †Galianemys
* †Ilatardia
* †Inaechelys
* †Itapecuruemys
* †Jainemys
* †Kinkonychelys
* †Kurmademys
* †Labrostochelys
* †Nigeremys
* †Phosphatochelys
* †Polysternon
* †Puentemys
* †Rosasia
* †Rhothonemys
* †Sankuchemys
* †Taphrosphys
* †Ummulisani
* †Zolhafah

Chelidae|

* Acanthochelys
* Chelodina
* Chelus
* Elseya
* Elusor
* Emydura
* Hydromedusa
* †Lomalatachelys
* Mesoclemmys
* Myuchelys
* Phrynops
* Platemys
* †Prochelidella
* Pseudemydura
* Rheodytes
* Rhinemys
* †Yaminuechelys

Pelomedusidae|

* Pelomedusa
* Pelusios

Podocnemididae|

* †Albertwoodemys
* †Bauruemys
* †Brontochelys
* †Caninemys
* †Carbonemys
* †Cerrejonemys
* †Cordichelys
* Erymnochelys
* †Lapparentemys
* †Latentemys
* Peltocephalus
* Podocnemis
* †Stupendemys

†Sahonachelyidae|

* †Sahonachelys
* †Sokatra

|  |

|  |

* †Caribemys
* †Caririemys
* †Tacuarembemys

|

* Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

* See also List of Testudines families

Taxon identifiers

Apalone|

* Wikidata: Q1930459
* Wikispecies: Apalone
* ADW: Apalone
* BOLD: 302309
* CoL: Y32
* EoL: 76487
* GBIF: 2442664
* iNaturalist: 39555
* IRMNG: 1027941
* ITIS: 208674
* NCBI: 55533
* Open Tree of Life: 149792
* Paleobiology Database: 67268
* WoRMS: 1027416

Authority control databases: National |

* Israel

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