[2] The thick shell is about as broad as it is long with heavy hinge teeth.

The outside may be yellowish green to dark brown and the inside is white.

Two rows of raised bumps extend in a v-shape from the umbo to the back edge in most individuals.

[2] In the United States, it is found in the Interior, Nelson and Great Lakes basins, as well as in the western Gulf Coastal Plain.

[3][4] The population in Manitoba is designated 'Threatened' by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.