Wednesday, April 16th
April's meeting will focus on how to safely handle and present your reptile to the public. Please feel free to bring your own animal to show off.
Meetings start promptly at 8pm in the Alumni Room of Medaille College.
Annual Banquet
PLEASE NOTE: The annual banquet and recognition dinner will be rescheduled due to conflicts. The new date will likely be a Saturday in May, please contact a board member for more information.
Eastern Spiny Softshell
(Apalone s. spinifera)
Photo Courtesy of World Chelonia Trust
The Eastern Spiny Softshell is sexually dimorphic. Males are only 5 - 9 inches in length while females range in size from 6 - 18 inches. The large carapace lacks hard scutes and is covered with soft leathery skin that is olive to tan in color. Around the rim are black blotches or eye spots and a dark line around the rim of the shell. There are two light colored stripes with dark edges.
Nesting happens from May to August. Nests are dug in sandy soil or gravel where they receive full sun. A clutch of 4 - 32 round eggs. Young emerge in August or September or will often over-winter in the nest.
This carnivorous turtle can be found in small farm ponds and creeks as well as large lakes and rivers. They are fast moving on land and the water and can often been found basking on the shore or on a log.
Remember that in many places it is illegal to take wildlife out of the wild without the proper permits from local, state, or federal authorities. Please do not release any captive reptiles or amphibians into the wild as this will disrupt the natural order of our environment. See our amphibian and reptile adoptions page for more information on what to do with unwanted herps.
Every purchase from Wormman.com helps support the WNY Herp Society!
Help reptiles in need by donating to our Adoption Fund! Your donations will help feed and house reptiles waiting for adoption.