Home > Turtles > Chinese Softshell Turtle

Chinese Softshell Turtle

Chinese softshell is a species of small to medium-sized turtle found in China, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, and Russia. The species is known to forage at night. It is considered a delicacy throughout its range, which has led to excessive hunting and harvesting, causing the species to be listed as Vulnerable by IUCN.

Scientific Classification
Quick Information

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Subphylum	Vertebrata
Class	Reptilia
Order	Testudines
Suborder	Cryptodira
Family	Trionychidae
Subfamily	Trionychinae
Genus	Pelodiscus
Scientific Name	Pelodiscus sinensis

Size	Can grow to 1 ft (30 cm)
Color	Outer shell is olive and may have dark blotches; orange-red underside of the shell; upper surface of the head and limbs are olive with orange-red underside of the hind-limbs; dark streaks on the head with dark lines radiating from the eyes; mottled throat and there may be small dark bars on the lips
Distribution	China (including Taiwan), North Vietnam, Japan, Korea, and Russia; Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Batan Islands, Timor, Guam, and some of the Hawaiian Islands (introduced)
Habitat	Rivers, ponds, canals, lakes, and creeks with slow currents
Diet	Fish, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, seeds of marsh plants
Hibernation Fact	Hibernate during winter in the mud of the river or lake bottom
Breeding Season	June to August
Mode of Reproduction	Oviparous (egg laying)
Clutch Size	8 to 30 eggs
Incubation Period	Around 2 months
Reproductive Age	4 to 6 years of age
Average Lifespan	10 to 20 years
IUCN Conservation Status	Vulnerable