Zak lives in southern Florida, and it’s likely this is a Florida softshell turtle (Apalone ferox). Florida softshell turtles are large turtles with skin covering their shell. They are dark brown ...

I love any animal that people are likely to describe as peculiar, and I had the good fortune to see one in Gainesville, Florida earlier this year. The Florida softshell turtle has a truly weird ...

Like other soft-shell turtle species, they are thought to have the ability to extract oxygen from the water through their skin, which helps them stay underwater for long periods of time.