They are called Soft Shell Turtles but their shell is not soft at all, actually their shells are as hard as any turtle shell. The carapace of the soft shell turtle has, indeed, soft edges and it lacks the scales. Instead of the scales, the soft shell turtle is covered in skin. They have long necks, that help them bite anything. Their long round noses step them apart from other turtle species. They keep their nose above the water when they are swimming, to breathe. They are good swimmers because of their webbed feet. The females grow up to 24 inches and that makes them much bigger than male soft shell turtles that can only grow up to 12 inches, the maximum weight is 35 lbs.
The soft shell turtle is mostly aquatic and, it spends most of the day underwater. On land, they can't retreat in their shell and they tend to get aggressive because most of their flesh is exposed. Their aggression escalates if they feel threatened. Since they are aquatic turtles, they have excellent swimming skills and they can move very fast. Their eating habits include baby ducks, crayfish, frogs and snails.
They prefer slow moving water, ponds or ditches and they hide in mud or sand, during the day, when they are not active. Half of the United States is populated by soft shell turtles.