# How fast can a soft-shelled turtle run? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 1, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-a-soft-shelled-turtle-run/639502 "2012-11-01T00:26:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mewl\_Dear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mewl\_Dear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mewl_Dear)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-a-soft-shelled-turtle-run/639502/1 "2012-11-01T00:26:13Z")
One of the Jeopardy answers today was that they can go faster then me. Spent an hour on my phone searching but can’t find real proof. Can some one with a real computer help a brother out? ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-a-soft-shelled-turtle-run/639502/2 "2012-11-01T00:30:11Z")
First things first. How fast can \*\*YOU \*\*run? ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-a-soft-shelled-turtle-run/639502/3 "2012-11-01T01:00:01Z")
> [@Mewl\_Dear](#): > > One of the Jeopardy answers today was that they can go faster then me. Yes, a soft shelled turtle can run faster than you. Next question, please. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-a-soft-shelled-turtle-run/639502/4 "2012-11-01T02:06:04Z")
I don’t see how a soft-shelled turtle, or any turtle, could run faster than a human on land. Or swim faster either. If that was the answer, I would guess there was some kind of trick to the way it was phrased. ---
**Author:** ![Mewl\_Dear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mewl\_Dear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mewl_Dear)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-a-soft-shelled-turtle-run/639502/5 "2012-11-01T02:14:07Z")
Evidence is not easily found. I think they got it wrong. Eta bet someone here dvred it. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-a-soft-shelled-turtle-run/639502/6 "2012-11-01T02:14:55Z")
They’re pretty fast. [Super fast turtle](http://youtu.be/hyUmGHdK9e8) ---
**Author:** ![getitrite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@getitrite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/getitrite)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-a-soft-shelled-turtle-run/639502/7 "2012-11-01T02:27:09Z")
Hey on wikipedia the site of Trionychidae - soft shelled turtle says they can run 15 miles per hour, didn’t say for how long or how far, but yes they can run faster than you, if your texting. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-a-soft-shelled-turtle-run/639502/8 "2012-11-01T02:30:34Z")
A soft shelled turtle once chased me. It was running faster than I was, but it could never catch up to me because every time it narrowed the distance between us in half I still moved a little bit ahead. It could never quite cut the distance between us in half. Then I tripped and fell over a pair of ducks. ---
**Author:** ![getitrite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@getitrite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/getitrite)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-a-soft-shelled-turtle-run/639502/9 "2012-11-01T02:34:28Z")
Way to go TriPolar so you can run a 4 min Mile, good job ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-a-soft-shelled-turtle-run/639502/10 "2012-11-01T02:51:19Z")
> [@getitrite](#): > > Hey on wikipedia the site of Trionychidae - soft shelled turtle says they can run 15 miles per hour, didn’t say for how long or how far, It also says “citation needed.” Their legs are only a few inches long, and they can barely lift their bodies off the ground. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-a-soft-shelled-turtle-run/639502/11 "2012-11-01T03:29:06Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > A soft shelled turtle once chased me. It was running faster than I was, but it could never catch up to me because every time it narrowed the distance between us in half I still moved a little bit ahead. It could never quite cut the distance between us in half. Then I tripped and fell over a pair of ducks. :dubious: We have laws in this cyberspace, stranger… ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-a-soft-shelled-turtle-run/639502/12 "2012-11-01T03:31:22Z")
According to [hypertextbook.com](http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1999/RachelShweky.shtml), turtles (in general, presumably including soft-shelled turtles) can _swim_ as fast as 22 mph (“The fastest speed claimed and proven by any reptile is 22 mph by a frightened pacific leatherback.”), which is to say, faster than most people can run, but not as fast as the fastest humans, either over short distances or over a mile (but not in a [marathon, 13 mph](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Makau)). As for walking, some can move at up to 3-4 mph, which can be easily outpaced by walking, but many move much slower. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-a-soft-shelled-turtle-run/639502/13 "2012-11-01T03:36:11Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > A soft shelled turtle once chased me. It was running faster than I was, but it could never catch up to me because every time it narrowed the distance between us in half I still moved a little bit ahead. It could never quite cut the distance between us in half. Then I tripped and fell over a pair of ducks. **TriPolar** and **Mewl Dear** are walking leisurely by the creek when out of the water lunges a hungry soft shelled turtle, coming right after them. **TriPolar** takes off running as fast as his legs will go, and **Mewl Dear** (not wanting to be turtle’s dinner) takes off likewise. **Mewl Dear** : What (pant, pant) . . . do . . . you think (pant, pant) . . . you’re doing? You know you can’t (pant pant) . . . outrun (gasp huff puff) . . . that **soft shelled turtle**! (pant wheeze). **TriPolar** : I don’t have to outrun the **soft shelled turtle**! I only have to outrun **you**!