CreatureData

Chinese softshell

Pelodiscus sinensis (Wiegmann, 1835)

Status not recordedturtles and tortoises

The chinese softshell (Pelodiscus sinensis) is a species in the family Trionychidae, order Testudines. Recorded adults weigh about 2.33 kg and live up to 7.3 years.

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Quick facts about the chinese softshell

Weight
2.33 kgsrc for Weight
Length
up to 33 cmsrc for Length
Lifespan
7.3 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Omnivoresrc for Diet
Longest recorded lifespan
24 years
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
wetlandsrc for Habitat
Egg incubation
61.5 dayssrc for Egg incubation
Young per litter or clutch
8 – 30src for Young per litter or clutch
Reproduction
Eggssrc for Reproduction
Lifestyle
Aquaticsrc for Lifestyle
Conservation status
Not recorded
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the chinese softshell live?

Not recorded

Where has it been introduced?

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists the chinese softshell as introduced in 11 countries, and flagged as invasive in 2 of them.

  1. Latviainvasive
  2. Thailandinvasive
  3. Belgium
  4. Indonesia
  5. Iran
  6. Malaysia
  7. Philippines
  8. Singapore
  9. Slovenia
  10. South Africa
  11. Timor-Leste

Also listed for parts of: United States (Hawaii).

Introduced means brought by people and now present; invasive means the country's checklist records an impact. A species can be native to one part of a country and introduced in another. Source: Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (CC BY 4.0).

Is the chinese softshell endangered?

No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.

How is the chinese softshell classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classReptilia
  4. orderTestudines
  5. familyTrionychidae
  6. genusPelodiscus
  7. SpeciesPelodiscus sinensis (Wiegmann, 1835)

Synonyms Amyda japonica, Amyda schlegeli haseri, Amyda schlegeli licenti, Amyda schlegelii haseri, Amyda schlegelii laoshanica, Amyda schlegelii licenti, Amyda sinensis, Amyda tuberculata, Ceramopelta latirostris, Cincisternum bicinctum, Cinctisternum bicinctum, Coelognathus novem-costatus, Coptopelta septem-costata, Gomphopelta officinae, Gymnopus simonii, Landemania irrorata, Oscaria swinhoei, Psilognathus laevis, Temnognathus mordax, Testudo rostrata, Testudo semimembranacea, Tortisternum nomencostatum, Tortisternum novem-costatum, Trionyx cartilagineus newtoni, Trionyx cartilagineus var. newtoni, Trionyx cartilaginous newtoni, Trionyx japonica, Trionyx schlegeli, Trionyx sinensis, Trionyx sinensis cyphus, Trionyx stellatus japonica, Trionyx swinhonis, Trionyx tuberculatus, Tyrse perocellata, Yuen leprosus, Yuen pallens, Yuen pollens, Yuen viridis

Other names and names in other languages (29)
  • Chinese soft-shelled turtleEnglish
  • Chinese softshell turtleEnglish
  • Southern Chinese soft-shelled turtleEnglish
  • سلحفاة لينة الدرقة الصينيةArabic
  • kožnatka čínskáCzech
  • Kinesisk BlødskildpaddeDanish
  • Chinesische WeichschildkröteGerman
  • Tortuga china de caparazón blandoSpanish
  • Trionyx de ChineFrench
  • Trionyx de Chine (Le)French
  • צב רך סיניHebrew
  • kínai lágyhéjú teknősHungarian
  • Labi-labi CinaIndonesian
  • Tartaruga dal guscio molle cineseItalian
  • チュウゴクスッポンJapanese
  • 자라Korean
  • 중국자라Korean
  • Chinese weekschildpadDutch
  • Chinese DrieklauwDutch
  • Żółwiak chińskiPolish
  • Китайский триониксRussian
  • Дальневосточная черепахаRussian
  • ตะพาบไต้หวันThai
  • М'якотіла черепаха китайськаUkrainian
  • 圓魚Chinese
  • 中华鳖Chinese
  • 中華鱉Chinese
  • 水魚Chinese
  • 甲魚Chinese

Catalogue of LifeiNaturalistITISTAXREFWikidataWoRMS

Relatives of the chinese softshell

Other species in the same genus Pelodiscus.

CompareChinese softshell vs Amur softshell turtleChinese softshell vs Lesser Chinese softshell turtleChinese softshell vs Sand softshell turtleChinese softshell vs Spotted softshell turtle

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the chinese softshell?

An adult chinese softshell weighs 2.33 kg, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

How long does the chinese softshell live?

The chinese softshell has a recorded lifespan of 7.3 years.

Is the chinese softshell an invasive species?

In some places. The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species flags the chinese softshell as invasive in 2 countries: Latvia and Thailand. It lists it as introduced in 11 in all.

What kind of animal is the chinese softshell?

The chinese softshell (Pelodiscus sinensis) belongs to the family Trionychidae in the order Testudines.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-13. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Chinese softshell (Pelodiscus sinensis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/chinese-softshell

MLA

“Chinese softshell (Pelodiscus sinensis).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/chinese-softshell.

BibTeX
@misc{chinese_softshell_2026,
  title = {Chinese softshell (Pelodiscus sinensis)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/chinese-softshell},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-13}
}