The Gulf Coast spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera aspera), a subspecies in the Trionychidae family of softshell turtles, is endemic to the south-eastern United States. These turtles are found along the Gulf of Mexico from North Carolina to Mississippi. They live in temperate climates in freshwater biomes.
Gulf Coast spiny softshell turtle
![A Gulf Coast spiny softshell turtle](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/876bc64/2147483647/strip/true/crop/640x424+0+0/resize/880x583!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fwltr%2Ffiles%2F201605%2FGulf_Coast_Spiny_Softshell_Turtle.jpg)
James Harding
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biokids.umich.edu