The aquatic ecosystem of an abandoned swimming pool

In late April of this year, I found a Florida softshell turtle trapped in an abandoned outdoor swimming pool. In a previous post, I recount how I drained the pool, captured the turtle, and returned it to the nearby lake from which it came. This pool is part of a shuttered hotel, and is near […]

Rescuing a Florida softshell turtle from an abandoned swimming pool

It is springtime in north central Florida and that means female turtles are moving about on land looking for nesting sites, and alligators are active. A week ago, I was walking along the edge of a lake, past a long-ago shuttered hotel. Out of curiosity, I took a look in the abandoned and partially filled […]

The fascinating Florida Softshell Turtle

Softshell turtles are unlike any other group of turtles – with their soft-shells, snake-like neck, and snorkel-like nostrils. Native to Africa, Asia, and North America, this group (family Trionychidae) contains 35 species. Three species of softshell turtle are found in North America. The Florida softshell (Apalone ferox) is the largest. In Florida, I have had […]