endangered animals

This research report is on the Spiny soft shelled turtle. The spiny soft shelled turtle is a member of the reptile family. It's scientific name is the apalone spinifera. In Canada it's threatened. In my report there is information on it's food, habitat, appearance, threats and interesting facts. This report will help you learn more about the spiny soft shelled turtle and ways you can make it not threatened anymore.
The male and female spiny soft shelled turtle look the same. Adult males measure 12.5-23.5 centimeters they are smaller than the females because the females measure 18.0-43.2 cm. They have a low flat carapace and the carapace's leading edge is lined with small spiky projections. The colour of the shell is olive to tan. They have flippers for front feet.
The spiny soft shelled turtle is found only in southern Quebec and southern Ontario. In the winter they hibernate under water in sand or mud. They normally stay in a water environment. They normally live in sandy bottoms, sandbars and mud flats.
The spiny soft shelled turtle has three different types of food it likes to eat. The spiny soft shelled turtle spending most of it's time underwater, finds that some of the food is often buried under the sandy or muddy river or lake bottoms. They feed primarily on invertebrates, crayfish and variety of aquatic vegetation.
The spiny soft shelled turtle has a bunch of threats and some can destroy their habitat. They need their habitat and it's a big threat when it's lost. Pollution is another way that habitat is lost. The eggs are threatened because baby turtles are eaten by skunks, raccoons, and big birds. Fluctuating water levels cause death of eggs.
The spiny soft shelled turtle has some cool interesting facts. Once is that the females lays one egg clutch per year The egg clutch contains 20 eggs. In Ontario it is prohibited to hunt, sell, posses or take the turtle from its habitat. Another name for the spiny soft shelled turtle is the apalone spinifera.

By Caitlin

Animal	Name Student
Burrowing Owl	Andrew
Pipping Plover	Jeffrey
Peary Caribou	Leslie
Fowler's Toad	Harrison
Leatherback Turtle	Diandra
Grey Fox	Jim
Marbled Murrelet	Rachel
Harlequin Duck	Lovell
Wood Bison	Alex
Eastern Cougar	Sam
Beluga Whale	Ena
Bowhead Whale	Rebecca
Blue Whale	Natalie
Ferruginous Hawk	Ryan
Trumpeter Swan	Wendy
Polar Bear	Emma
Swift Fox	Manny
Peregrine Falcon	Keri
Grizzly Bear	Daniel
Sea Otter	Tiffany
Harbour Porpoise	Scott
Loggerhead Shrike	Alison
Wolverine	Evert
Humpback Whale	Lindsay
Vancouver Island Marmot	Sarah
Whopping Crane	Kieran
Spiny Soft Shelled Turtle	Caitlin
Spotted Owl	Kathleen

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