How Much Does A Softshell Turtle Weight?

Do you know the weight of a softshell turtle can actually reflect its health? Yes, you have read it right. Weight below or above the normal level indicates that the softshell turtle needs medical attention. So, how much does a softshell turtle weigh?

The weight of a softshell turtle can be somewhere between 2.68 kg to 254 kg. The weight depends on the species, age, and gender of the softshell turtle.

If you are wondering what is the normal weight for your softshell turtle, then this article is for you. Here I will discuss which factors affect a softshell turtle’s weight, and how to make a turtle maintain a healthy weight.

Weight Of Softshell Turtles

Here is a chart that includes the normal weight range of different softshell turtle species:

Softshell turtle species	Approximate weight of the turtle
Spiny softshell turtle	The female spiny softshell turtles can weigh around 12 to 15 kg (26.5 to 33 lbs). The matured male spiny softshell turtles grow around 130g (.3 lb).
Florida softshell turtle	A female Florida softshell turtle can be 6 to 44 kg (13 to 97 lbs). The weight of a male Florida softshell turtle will be 3 kg or more (6.6 lb+).
Smooth softshell turtle	The weight range of a smooth softshell turtle is 3 to 7.5 g.
Ganges softshell turtle or Indian softshell turtle	Depending on the gender, age, and size, the weight of a Ganges softshell turtle can be around 0.4 to 20 kg (0.8 to 44 lbs).
Chinese softshell turtle	The initial weight of a Chinese softshell turtle is 21g only. The adult ones can weigh up to 6 kg (13 lbs).
Asiatic softshell turtle	Usually, the Asiatic softshell turtles weigh 15 to 25 kg (33 to 55 lbs). According to record, the Asiatic softshell turtles can grow 105 kg (231 lbs).
Asian narrow headed softshell turtle	The weight of an Asian narrow headed softshell turtle can be up to 254 kg (560 lbs).
Malayan softshell turtle	The average weight of a Malayan softshell is 5.6 kg (12 lbs).
Asian giant softshell turtle	An individual Asian giant softshell turtle can weigh more than 100 kg (220 lbs).
Yangtze softshell turtle	The average weight of a Yangtze softshell turtle is around 70 to 100 kg (155 to 220 lbs). Some individuals can grow up to 125 kg or 275 lbs.
Black softshell turtle	The weight of a male black softshell turtle is still unknown. But the female softshell turtle can weigh around 55kg (120 lbs).
Indian narrow headed softshell turtle	The large male Indian narrow headed turtles can be 17 to 26 kg (37 to 58 lbs) and the large female ones can be around 14 to 57 kg (30 to 125 lbs).
African softshell turtle or Nile softshell turtle	An African softshell turtle hatchling weighs around 8 to 17 g. After growing up, the turtle can be more than 40 kg (88 lbs).
Euphrates softshell turtle	Depending on the size and gender, the body weight of a Euphrates softshell turtle can be up to 20 kg (44 lbs).
Leith’s softshell turtle	The usual weight of an adult Leith’s softshell turtle can be around 30 kgs (66 lbs).
Burmese peacock softshell turtle	An individual Burmese softshell turtle can grow up to 8 kg (17 lbs).
New Guiena giant softshell turtle	These giant turtles weigh around 120 kg or 260 lbs.

Here I have discussed the average or usual weights of a softshell turtle. Your pet turtle may weigh more or less than this depending on some factors.

Factors That Affect A Softshell Turtle’s Weight

From the beginning, I am telling you that the weight of a softshell turtle depends on some factors. Such as:

• Age
• Size
• Health
• Gender

Age

By age, I am indicating the growth of the softshell turtle. With the growing age, the softshell turtle will get bigger. And the bigger it gets, the more weight it will have.

Size

The weight of the softshell turtle greatly depends on the size. The bigger the turtle, the greater the size will be. The weight of a hatchling is much less than the adult ones. Again, the weight of an 8 inches softshell turtle is more than 6 inches one.

If you are wondering how big softshell turtles get, check this article.

Health

The weight of a softshell turtle can indicate its health status. Most times the sick turtles lose a considerable amount of weight. Again, if you feed your softshell turtle an excess amount of protein, it will grow faster than usual. This will lead to weight gain.

Gender

The female softshell turtles are bigger than the male ones. So, it is obvious that the female softshell turtles will weigh more. If you compare the weight of the same age female and male softshell turtle, the male will weigh far less than the female one.

In most softshell turtle species, the male ones weigh ⅓ of the females. Click here to check the size of different softshell turtle species.

How To Make A Softshell Turtle Maintain A Healthy Weight?

As I have mentioned earlier that the weight indicated the health of a softshell turtle. Losing or gaining weight in a short period can be harmful to health. That is why experts advise us to monitor the weight of a pet turtle every once in a while and note it down.

So, what can you do to make the turtle maintain a healthy weight? Here are some tips:

• Provide the softshell turtle a healthy diet. Remember, feeding the pet too often and excessive amounts will make it grow faster. This is not healthy at all. Check this article to get feeding instructions.
• Make sure the water of the tank is clean and hygienic. Filthy water can cause shell and skin problems. These conditions often lead to weight loss. Installing a water filter in the tank can be a good solution.
• A basking lamp or heating lamp is equally important to keep a turtle healthy. Without sufficient UV exposure, the turtle will suffer from metabolic bone diseases. This will make the turtle lose weight.
• You should also provide a basking dock or land area to the softshell turtles. If there is no land, the pet will not come out of the water. This will cause respiratory diseases and shell conditions. Eventually, the pet will lose weight.

Conclusion

Some species of softshell turtles can be really bulky. You need to monitor the weight of the turtle at least once a month. Make sure the pet is healthy, lively, and growing properly according to its age.