Dongping Lake Softshell Turtle

Dongping Lake Softshell Turtle

　　Dongping Lake softshell turtle is a specialty of Dongping Lake in Dongping County, Tai’an City, Shandong Province. Dongping Lake provides an excellent natural habitat for softshell turtles, and those produced here are renowned throughout the Shandong region.

　　The softshell turtle, commonly known as yuan yu, tuan yu, jiao yu, wang ba, or lao bie, belongs to the family Trionychidae under the class Reptilia. It is an amphibious, oviparous, cold-blooded reptile. Wild softshell turtles from Dongping Lake have a light yellow back (those from other regions are mostly dark brown), a milky white belly, a flat body, and a thick skirt-like edge. Their backs are covered with tiny bead-like bumps. The snout is long and pointed, about the same length as the eye diameter. Their bodies lack bony plates and are covered with soft, leathery skin. The head is pointed and bluish-gray with scattered black spots. The throat is pale with worm-like patterns or dark areas dotted with yellow spots. The carapace is about 24 cm long and 16 cm wide. The toes have well-developed webbing, with the inner three toes bearing claws. Dongping Lake softshell turtles are naturally timid, preferring quiet, shaded, and clean environments while avoiding noise, wind, and dirt. They exhibit behaviors such as moving to the shore in spring, hiding in the shade during summer, retreating into rock caves in autumn, and sinking to the lake bottom in winter. They have a varied diet and enjoy feeding on animal-based foods such as snails, river shrimp, and small fish, but will also consume plant-based foods like melons, vegetables, and grains when necessary.

　　Softshell turtles are cold-blooded poikilothermic animals, extremely sensitive to changes in external temperatures. Their body temperature directly affects their activity levels and feeding behavior. The optimal growth temperature for softshell turtles is 25–30°C. Below 20°C, their appetite decreases; at 15°C, they stop eating and become lethargic. Between 10–12°C, they enter hibernation, burying themselves in the mud without eating or moving. Softshell turtles are aggressive and greedy feeders. While they generally do not attack each other, high-density farming and food scarcity can lead to cannibalism. They have strong fasting tolerance and can survive without food for over three months while remaining active. Their lifespan can reach 40–60 years. They breathe with lungs, so they occasionally surface for air.

　　Dongping Lake softshell turtles are large in size and abundant in number. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was common to see turtles crawling onto the shores of Dongping Lake. A simple walk along the lake dike could yield several turtles. Some fishermen once collected more than ten turtles in a single day, each weighing over 1 kilogram, with the largest exceeding 5 kilograms. After heavy rains and rising water levels, groups of turtles could often be seen floating among the reeds. At that time, the lake’s annual turtle production exceeded 10,000 kilograms, with peak annual procurement reaching over 5,000 kilograms. To meet domestic and international market demand, in 1974, the county’s aquatic department built four turtle farming ponds, each covering more than 8 acres, at Mao Yuan Fish Seed Farm. Artificial breeding and comprehensive high-yield farming techniques were developed, achieving remarkable results and paving the way for large-scale, high-yield turtle farming.

　　Dongping Lake softshell turtle is a premium aquatic product and a high-end tonic. Its entire body is valuable, offering significant culinary and medicinal benefits. Its edible parts contain 17% protein, 4% fat, and about 26% carbohydrates. Each 100 grams includes 15 mg of calcium and 94 mg of phosphorus, with particularly high levels of vitamin B, the highest among aquatic animals. Local folklore claims that the turtle has the delicious flavors of chicken, deer, beef, mutton, and pork, earning it the nickname “five-meat meat.” Its meat is renowned for being delicate, rich, and flavorful. During the Asian Games hosted by China, Dongping Lake softshell turtles were included in the athletes’ diet and were procured in large quantities by relevant national departments.

　　Traditional Chinese medicine believes that softshell turtle meat has a sweet and mild nature, with benefits such as nourishing yin, replenishing qi, clearing heat, treating malaria, reducing swelling, and removing blood stasis. It is used to treat excessive internal heat and dampness, tonify the middle energizer, boost qi, and nourish deficiencies and yin. The dried head of the turtle, known as “turtle head,” is used medicinally to treat prolapsed anus, anal fistulas, and various childhood illnesses, proving highly effective. Turtle blood can serve as a blood tonic. Regular consumption of softshell turtles is believed to promote longevity and help prevent cancer. Various parts of the Dongping Lake softshell turtle—including the shell, bones, blood, head, fat, and eggs—can be used in medicine. The turtle is rich in arterial gelatin, keratin, iodine, and vitamin D, which can inhibit the growth of tumor cells and enhance the body’s immune function. Local folklore claims the turtle can “cure all diseases” and “treat a hundred illnesses and remove a hundred toxins.” Eating cooked turtle in spring is said to result in fewer illnesses and no boils throughout the year. The best time to eat turtle is when the wheat turns yellow, commonly referred to as “wheat-yellow turtle.”