Trionychidae
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Trionychidae is a family of turtles, commonly known as softshell turtles or simply softshells. The family was described by Leopold Fitzinger in 1826. Softshells include some of the world's largest fre
Pelodiscus
Head and neck of Pelodiscus sinensis
Japanese suppon-nabe made from softshell turtle
Fossil of Plastomenus sp. in the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago
Chinese softshell turtle
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The Chinese softshell turtle is a species of softshell turtle that is native to mainland China and Taiwan, with records of escapees—some of which have established introduced populations—in a wide rang
Trionychidae
…copiously supplied with blood, acting similarly to gill filaments in fish. This enables them to stay under water for prolonged periods. Moreover, the Chinese softshell turtle has been shown to excrete urea while "breathing" underwater; this is an efficient solution when the animal does not have access to fresh water, e.g…
DSC09767 Chinese Softshell Turtle
Basking, in Taiwan
Pelodiscus sinensis