Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera) pair taxidermy-style head mount 3D-printable Files
FREE
This pair of taxidermy-style 3D-printable head mounts features both adult male and female Spiny Softshell Turtles (Apalone spinifera). Scaled to life-size, these models accurately capture the species’ iconic snorkel snouts and distinct sexual size dimorphism. The sculpts are specifically designed for advanced finishing; with recessed pupils and irises, they offer an ideal surface for practicing cornea construction and “lens-doming” using UV-cured resin to achieve hyper-realistic eyes.
✅ What You CAN Do:
- Download and 3D print the files for your own personal enjoyment
- Display your prints at home or in public (with attribution)
- Modify or remix the files for your own use
- Share photos of your prints on social media (tag us!)
❌ What You CANNOT Do:
- Sell physical prints - this requires a Commercial License
- Share or distribute the digital files with anyone
- Upload files to file-sharing sites or online repositories
- Use the files for any business or commercial purpose
- Use the files to train AI or machine learning systems
📢 Attribution Required:
When sharing your prints publicly, please give credit:
- Social Media: Tag our account + mention Savi Made in your caption
- Other displays: Include "Model sculpted by Lincoln Savi of Savi Made (savimade.ca)"
Description
Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera) pair taxidermy-style head mount 3D-printable Files
Capture the unique morphology of one of North America’s most specialized reptiles with this pair of 3D-printable Spiny Softshell Turtle heads. Designed in a professional taxidermy head-mount style, these models are optimized for mounting on shields, plaques, or as educational displays.
This set includes anatomically accurate representations of both an adult male and an adult female, highlighting the distinct sexual size dimorphism found in the species.
The Spiny Softshell is renowned for its “needle-nose” appearance and highly mobile neck. These models precisely replicate the elongated, snorkel-like snout and the characteristic nasal septum lateral ridges; small “bumps” inside the nostrils that distinguish A. spinifera from other softshell species.
The 3D printable, digital files are in STL format packaged in a .ZIP archive. They’re scaled to life-size and ready for you to print and paint them.
The size of these heads correspond to a female that would have a carapace of 48cm, and a male that would have a carapace length of 24.5cm.
These head sculpts are particularly valuable for artists looking to master advanced finishing techniques. Because the eyes are designed with recessed pupils and irises, they provide a perfect 3D canvas for practicing the “lens-building” process.
Instead of a flat surface, the physical depth of the sculpt requires you to manually build up the cornea using UV-cured resin. You must “dome” the eye with resin to create a natural, refractive glossy cornea. This technique results in a lifelike, following-eye effect that really increases the realism of these 3D printed models.
With this model you can practice this advanced eye-making technique whereby you paint the iris and pupil and then carefully build up a dome of UV-cured clear resin for the refractive cornea.
Our tested print settings: FDM
We successfully printed these Spiny Softshell heads in PLA on an FDM printer using these settings:
- Nozzle size: 0.4mm
- Layer height: variable
- Wall thickness: 1.2mm
- Infill: 7% gyroid
- Support material: True
We oriented the models with the flat cut surface directly on the build plate.
Additional information
| Sculpt artist | Lincoln Savi |
|---|---|
| Finish | |
| Sex | Female, Male |
