Softshell Turtles: Trionychidae

These water-loving turtles live in all types of year-round fresh water, occasionally in ponds that dry up for part of the year. A few can swim into somewhat salty water for a brief time, but only one species, the Asian giant softshell, actually lives in the saltier waters of the coast. Overall, members of this family live east of the Rocky Mountains in North America and in mainly warmer climates in northern Africa, southern Asia, and the Indo-Australian archipelago, which is near Australia. They have also been introduced elsewhere, including Hawaii.