Texas spiny softshell turtle
Subspecies of turtle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Texas spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera emoryi) is a subspecies of the spiny softshell turtle in the family Trionychidae. The subspecies is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent northeastern Mexico.
| Texas spiny softshell turtle | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Cryptodira |
| Family: | Trionychidae |
| Genus: | Apalone |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | A. s. emoryi |
| Trinomial name | |
| Apalone spinifera emoryi (Agassiz, 1857) | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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List
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Etymology
The subspecific name, emoryi, is in honor of United States Army officer and surveyor William Hemsley Emory.[3]
Geographic range
A. s. emoryi is found in western Texas and New Mexico, in the Rio Grande and its immediate tributaries, and in the Mexican states of Coahuila and Tamaulipas.[4]
Diet
In the Texas portion of the Pecos River, A. s. emoryi were found to be primarily insectivorous, feeding on coleopterans, hymenopterans, odonates, and orthopterans.[5]