The turtles are distributed in North America, appearing in much of the southern United States. They are found from eastern Texas to the Florida Panhandle, and north to southeastern Kansas, Missouri, southeastern Iowa, western Illinois, western Kentucky, and western Tennessee. [8] Due to the trade in exotic animals and other species the species has arrived in Asia and Europe with a reproductive / research center found in Japan.
This tortoise has large heads, strong jaws, sharp ridges, can bite many other turtles for food, many thorns, and ferocious looks, so they are often called "turtles " The image they refer to ancient dinosaurs. Mai's have 3 rows of thorns. These spines contain a lot of sensitive nerve endings. There is an unconfirmed report of a 183 kg turtle in Kansas in 1937, [9] but one of the largest specimens is controversial. At Shedd Chicago, a 16-year-old turtle weighing 113 kilograms was sent to a Tennessee aquarium. Another weighed 107 kg at the Brookfield Zoo outside Chicago. They usually do not grow to large size, with average adults aged 40.4 to 80.8 cm (15.9 to 31.8 in) with a weight of 68 to 80 kg (150 to 176 lb) . Males are bigger than females. [10] Of the freshwater tortoises surviving, only soft-shell turtles (tortoises) in Chitra, Rafetus, and Pelochelys can survive in size.
This breed dates maturity when it is about 12 years old. [11] Mating occurs at the beginning of the year. The females build their nest, and after two months they lay about 10-50 eggs. [12] The sex of the young depends on the nest temperature. The incubation period is from 100 to 140 days, and the eggs hatch in the early fall. [13]
The life expectancy of the individual is unknown, crocodile turtles are thought to live for 200 years, but from 80 to 120 years is probably more true. They usually live between 20 and 70 years of captivity
