Softshelled turtle

I saw this guy last week on a kayak trip down a local river, the Little Miami (in southwest Ohio). It is a Spiny Softshell Turtle, Trionyx spiniferus. The females get up to 17" long, the males are smaller. This one was about 10". Except for seeing them basking, these turtles are all about stealth, and you rarely see them in the water. The shell blends in to muddy or sandy bottoms, and the snorkel nose allows them to get a breath without being seen.

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Nice picture! It brings to mind a behind the house adventure from long, long, ago. When I was a kid (junior high) my younger brother (elementary school aged) hooked a big turtle like this when he was fishing in the drainage ditch behind our house. He walked all the back to the house letting his line unfurl. I had to go out, reel it in and get the hook out. That turtle's neck must have been 6 or 7 inches long. I was really afraid of getting bit and ended up clipping the hook with pliers.