Dining For Two

The vulnerable African Softshell Turtle Trionyx triunguis has gone under a major study to uncover more of its eating habits within their environment.

Pearson McGovern and company chose to look into male, female and juvenile counterparts. They have not been studied closely before. East and West Africa were the destinations visited between 2017 and 2024.

Softshell Turtle In-Situ

They collected the fecal samples of different age groups. A total of 216 individuals were recorded to have digested different food items from aquatic plants to rodents. On the whole, there was an omnivorous pattern emerging. All sexes digested a range of plants, invertebrates and vertebrates.

Certain geographical populations were found to have consumed more items than the other. East African occupants ate more worms, mollusks and aquatic plants than West. Juveniles ate smaller prey items whereas adults ate larger lizards, birds and mammals in both areas.

Males and females, mostly, ate the same food and contribute to passing nutrients to large rivers. Pollution and destruction of their habitats make it integral to use this study to continue conservational efforts. This species has their chosen food source locations and we must use this to our advantage in monitoring.