# Chinese softshell (*Pelodiscus sinensis*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/chinese-softshell  
Data as of: 2026-11-13

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.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 2.33 kg |
| Length | up to 33 cm |
| Lifespan | 7.3 years |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 24 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | wetland |
| Egg incubation | 61.5 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 8 – 30 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Lifestyle | Aquatic |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Introduced range

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists it as introduced in 11 countries, and flagged as invasive in 2 of them. Introduced: Belgium, Indonesia, Iran, Latvia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Thailand, Timor-Leste. Invasive: Latvia, Thailand. Source: https://griis.org/ (CC BY 4.0).

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Reptilia
- order: Testudines
- family: Trionychidae
- genus: Pelodiscus
- species: *Pelodiscus 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*

## Common questions

### 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

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS)](https://griis.org/), CC BY 4.0, 2026-11-13. Pagad, S., Genovesi, P., Carnevali, L., Schigel, D. & McGeoch, M.A. (2018) Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Scientific Data 5: 170202. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.202. Country checklists published through GBIF by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group.
- [ReptTraits: a comprehensive dataset of ecological traits in reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24572683.v4), CC BY 4.0, v1-2. Oskyrko, O., Mi, C., Meiri, S. et al. (2024) ReptTraits: a comprehensive dataset of ecological traits in reptiles. Scientific Data 11: 243. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03079-5. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24572683.v4

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