[For Seniors] Brain Training with Softshell Turtles! Trivia Quiz & Fun Facts

like the moon and a turtle (i.e., worlds apart; completely different/incomparable)

The phrase “tsuki to suppon” (literally, “the moon and a soft-shelled turtle”) is an idiom that expresses the difference between two things whose appearances or natures are completely unlike. It’s used as a metaphor meaning they’re so far apart as to be incomparable—like the beautiful moon versus a soft-shelled turtle that lives in the mud.

put it back in the water

If a softshell turtle bites you, try putting it in the water. They often let go because being in the water makes them feel secure. Softshell turtles don’t have teeth, but their jaws are very strong, so pulling it off by force could cause injury.

Creatures such as fish and shrimp

Softshell turtles are strongly carnivorous and prefer to eat live creatures such as fish, shrimp, and crabs in rivers and ponds. They also sometimes catch and eat aquatic insects, small birds, and small mammals. They occasionally consume plant matter, but their diet is primarily animal-based.

October 14

Delicious Softshell Turtle Day is on October 14. It comes from the idea that softshell turtles are said to be fattest, most nutritious, and tastiest in early autumn, along with a Japanese wordplay where 014 can be read as “the most (1) delicious (014).” The day was established jointly by Daito Life Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of health foods, and the Idera Softshell Turtle Farm, which raises softshell turtles.

The sound when diving into water

There are various theories about the origin of the name “suppon” (softshell turtle), but the leading one says it comes from the “suppon” sound it makes when it dives into the water. Another theory traces it to the “spon-spon” sound of its call.

Pulmonary respiration and cutaneous respiration

The soft-shelled turtle is unusual among amphibians in that it performs both pulmonary and cutaneous respiration. While taking in oxygen through its lungs underwater, it also absorbs oxygen through its skin.

Males have thicker and longer tails than females.

Male soft-shelled turtles are characterized by thicker, longer tails than females, which is related to their reproductive behavior. In contrast, females have shorter tails and rounder bodies.