Pelodiscus are remarkably good and active swimmers. The most remarkable external characteristic is the shell. In contrast to the known terrapins and tortoises, soft shell turtles do not have a hardened bone shell but a rather flexible 'leathery' one. This shell is connected to a bony plate under the shell. But these hard parts are missing in the rest of the carapax. Also in the plastron, the bone plates are very reduced and not connected. The plastron is moderately reduced but this turtle can retract its head, front legs and partly the rear legs inside their shell. This flexible and flattened shell ensures that these turtles can easily swim quickly or hide in the silt on the bottom of the waters where they live.

The neck is long and can be quickly stretched to catch a prey. The head is very pointed with a clearly elongated
nose. In this way, the turtles can easily breathe in the air without being seen on the surface. The lips have a fleshy edge but behind them is a very sharp, powerful beak. The powerful bite allows turtles to easily rip fish into pieces or crush shellfish. They are powerful swimmers with long legs and clear webs between their toes. The nails are hardly visible, except for the front toes on the front legs (especially in men).



What do Chinese softshell turtles eat?

Diet. These turtles are predominantly carnivorous and the remains of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, insects, and seeds of marsh plants have been found in their stomachs.

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