what kind? again

if i´m not mistaken that is a soft shell turtle, and they grow very large..
in the softshell galery there are som examples on how big they will be, i dont know axacly how big they get..

i know its a softshell, but im trying to find out *exactly* what kind. im hoping whatever kind he is, he doesnt get too much over 2ft, and that he saves his growning spurts until after we move! (id hate to have to make TWO outdoor ponds..)

Looks like a spiny softshell turtle, Apalone spinifera, native to most of the US east of the Rockies, and just about all of the Mississippi River watershed. What indicates this is the small bumps (spines) on the shell behind the neck. For a positive ID, look straight into the turtle's nostrils, keeping your face out of reach of the jaws that bite, the claws that catch. You may notice a ridge running inside each nostril. If so, your turtle is a spiny softshell. If there is no ridge, yours is a smooth softshell, Apalone muticus.

If your turtle is a female spiny, she can attain a shell length of 18 inches, almost the size of a garbage can lid. A male spiny grows to the size of a dinner plate. The sexes are easy to tell apart: long tail=male, short tail=female. If the tail reaches beyond the edge of the shell, then male.

In either case, your turtle will probably outgrow your aquarium in less than a year. Enjoy the beast while you can.

Care and feeding: The turtle's appetite is temperature-dependent; if it won't eat, take the tank temperature up to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Dry catfood, puppy chow, are good, cheap staples. Commercial turtle food is fine, although it supplies much more calcium than a softshell needs for shell growth. Recommend live food, too, in preparation for the day when you release the turtle. Crickets, grasshoppers, earthworms, minnows -- just about anything you might use for fishbait.

Arranging the tank: These are very aquatic turtles that do not need to bask as much as other turtles. If you supply a floating piece of wood or other suitable perch, the turtle may avail itself of it, but will spend 99% of its time submerged. Put fine aquarium gravel on the bottom, so that it can bury itself in the bottom -- this is what it likes to do almost as much as it likes to bite and murder its tankmates. A large tank with deep water will give you a lot of entertainment just watching it swim. (Watching a softshell turtle swim will make you bored with other turtles.) An inch thick layer of fine aquarium gravel or sand in shallow water will allow the turtle to follow a strong inclination to keep itself buried while
extending the neck to the surface to breathe.

Looks like a chinese softshell, Trionyx sinensis. I have a baby similar to it. They grow up to 25 cm/ 10" (i think). They are also known to be quite aggresive with tankmates. Thats why i keep mine alone (used to have five, lost 4 from terrible "Incidents" i cant discribe). I hope my male does survive till he is old enough 4 me 2 find him a mate.

Sorry, i think the genus has been changed to Pelodiscus

looks like a spiny softshell to me, males get somewhere around 8'' and females around 20''. make sure you have sand at the bottom of the tank