The Florida softshell turtle (Apalone ferox) 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. The largest species of softshell turtle found in all of North America, it is the only species of softshell turtle whose range spans the entire Florida peninsula.
