Picture comingBreeding the spiny softshell turtle
Egg-layer: mates in spring in deep water; females dig flask-shaped nests in sand or gravel bars from late May to July and may lay up to 3-4 clutches a season. Females mature at about 8-9 years, males at about 4. Sex is not set by incubation temperature.
Step by step
Pair.
Large pond or tank with sand.
Warm season.
Average about 18 eggs per clutch (reported range 3-39; larger females lay more); up to 3-4 clutches a year; eggs hatch after about 60-90 days.
Hatchlings are fully independent: house them in shallow warm water with a basking spot and feed small pellets, worms and daphnia daily.
- Undersized tank and weak filtration
- No UV or basking heat (soft shells, poor growth)
- Releasing unwanted turtles into the wild
Male or female
Males are much smaller (to about 22-27 cm), keep the juvenile spotted pattern, have a sandpaper-rough shell and a long, thick tail with the vent near the tip; adult females grow to about 50 cm and develop a blotched pattern.
Can I breed it in my tank?
- Good for a first breeding project.
Day-by-day plan
Typical for frogs, newts and turtles
- Day 0Eggs
Needs a special setup. Read the species guide first.
A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.
Simulator: guided
Needs a special setup. Read the species guide first.
Simulator: try it yourself
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
- Without live or frozen food the parents aren't in breeding condition.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.