Wildlife

Spiny Soft-shelled turtle

Apalone spinifera
Habitat
Miles City, Yellowstone River
Conservation
Apparently secure

The pancake-shaped spiny softshell turtles may be declining due to human alterations of their riverine habitats.

Journal References

13 journal entries mention Spiny Soft-shelled turtle

Oct 17 1804
Clark: October 17, 1804
... This Chief tells me of a number of their Treditions about Turtles, Snakes, &. and the power of a perticiler rock or Cave on the next river which informs of everr t...
Oct 21 1804
Clark: October 21, 1804
...or Heart) River L. S. 38 yards wide, this river heads near Turtle mountain with Knife River on this River is a Smothe Stone which the Indians have great fath in & C...
Jan 13 1805
Clark: January 13, 1805
...t accompanied him to Some loges of the Minatarees near the Turtle Hill returned, both frosed in their faces. Chaboneu informs that the Clerk of the Hudsons Bay Co. ...
Apr 12 1805
Clark: April 12, 1805
...n countrey in its whole course washing the N W base of the Turtle Mountain which is Situated about 6 Leagues S W of its mouth, one of our men Baptiest who came down...
Apr 12 1805
Lewis: April 12, 1805
...his river in it's course passed near the N. W. side of the turtle mountain, which is said to be no more than 4 or 5 leagues distant from it's entrance in a straigh...
Jun 8 1805
Lewis: June 8, 1805
...chantingly; I observed among them the brown thrush, Robbin, turtle dove, linnit goaldfinch, the large and small blackbird, wren and several other birds of less note...
Jul 13 1805
Lewis: July 13, 1805
...e on about 8 miles further and encamped. I saw a number of turtledoves and some pigeons today. of the latter I shot one; they are the same common to the United Stat...
Sep 18 1805
Lewis: September 18, 1805
...ls, and a blue bird of the vulter kind about the size of a turtle dove or jay bird. our rout lay along the ridge of a high mountain course S. 20 W. 18 in. used the...
Mar 4 1806
Clark: March 4, 1806
... other fish in baskets with hot Stones is not so good. The turtle doves and robin are the Same of those of our countrey and are found as well as the plains as open ...
Mar 4 1806
Lewis: March 4, 1806
...s cooked is much better than either boiled or roasted. The turtle dove and robbin are the same of our country and are found as well in the plain as open country. th...
May 27 1806
Clark: May 27, 1806
... this bird is about the Size of the lark woodpecker or the turtle dove, tho it's wings are longer than either of these birds. the beak is black, one inch long reath...
May 27 1806
Lewis: May 27, 1806
... this bird is about the size of the lark woodpecker of the turtle dove, tho it's wings are longer than either of those birds. the beak is black, one inch long, reat...
Jul 29 1806
Clark: July 29, 1806
...ught 3 cat fish. they wer Small and fat. also a Soft Shell turtle.

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