Spiny Softshell vs. Common Snapping Turtle

The shell: Spiny Softshell — soft, flat and leathery; Common Snapping Turtle — hard, with plates. The shell pattern: Spiny Softshell — dark spots or rings on a leathery shell; Common Snapping Turtle — plain, no pattern. The head marks: Spiny Softshell — several yellow stripes, no patch; Common Snapping Turtle — plain. The ridge on the shell: Spiny Softshell — no ridge — smooth; Common Snapping Turtle — three low ridges running lengthwise or no ridge — smooth (these overlap, so it only helps).

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

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Wildsight identifies the reptiles and amphibians of the United States. Every comparison