**Softshell turtles** are found in North America, Africa, Asia,
Australia, and some islands in southeast Asia. There are about 25
species in this group. They generally live in still or slow moving
water with muddy bottoms. They don’t often bask in the sun, as many
other aquatic turtles do. Softshell turtles are usually carnivorous,
eating fish, insects, mollusks, and amphibians. They are easy to
recognize because of their flattened, leathery looking carapace (the
topmost shell of a turtle) and their long, tube-like noses. There are
3 species in North America and 1 in Michigan.