The species is native to southeastern canada and much of the eastern united states. Musk turtle care certainly isnt complicated, but these beautiful animals do require far more specialist care than the average pet. Common musk turtles have a dark brown to black upper shell carapace with no markings. The razor back musk turtle reaches an adult size of 1215cm 56 inches. Babies tend to have an overall colouration that is creamtan with brown speckles on the body and shell. Common musk turtles are by far one of the most suitable turtle species to keep in the home.
These turtles bask high above the water in nature, dropping as much as. The painted turtles the painted turtle must be the most common widespread turtle. Unlike other musk turtles, the loggerhead appears to be diurnal. Bearded dragon care sheet introduction welcome to our bearded dragon care sheet. The eastern musk turtle is one of the worlds smallest turtles. When looking at a common musk turtle, you will notice that it features a blackishbrown colored carapace that is also highly domed and has a vertebral keel, while the plastron is smaller. Musk turtle definition is any of various small american freshwater turtles especially genus sternotherus that have musk glands. A large aquarium with a pair of musk turtles, good filtration, and plenty of driftwood and aquatic plants makes an ideal turtle display.
Musk turtles vary in five different species but the ways in which to care for them are very similar if not the same. It is also known commonly as the common musk turtle, eastern musk turtle, or stinkpot due to its ability to release a foul musky odor from scent glands on the edge of its shell, possibly to deter predation. The common musk turtle has an olivebrown to black carapace, sometimes. Worse yet, it may spray its musk an odor so vile, it has earned this turtle the nickname stinkpot. Popular semiaquatic turtles kept in the us include sliders. Common musk turtles may occasionally attempt to bite, so care should be taken in handling them. The common musk turtle has a wide geographic range in eastern north america, from florida to ontario, and west to texas and wisconsin. All our reptiles come with a live arrival guarantee. Common musks are carnivorous animals and there is a wide variety of food on its menu. The common musk turtle sternotherus odoratus is a small turtle species, only reaching 46 inches in shell length when adult. They are also known as stinkpot turtles due to a smelly liquid they produce from musk glands when threatened. The kinosternidae are a family of mostly small turtles that includes the mud turtles and musk turtles.
While the common name usually refers to the common musk turtle, it can also be refer to all musk turtle species such as the razorback musk turtle, and the loggerhead musk. Adults appear to target and feed primarily on gastropods aquatic snails, clams including the exotic. Musk turtles have two light stripes on their heads, distinguishing them from stripenecked musk turtles and. Stinkpot musk turtle kinosternon odoratus from new england to florida and wisconsin, kansas, oklahoma and texas. Musk turtles or any turtles are not really touchy feely animals, but they will tolerate light handling without musking their owner and i have never heard of this being an issue at all amongst musk turtle keepers. The loggerhead musk turtle features a keeled carapace. Musk turtle definition of musk turtle by merriamwebster.
Flattened musk turtle us fish and wildlife service. Musk turtles have two light stripes on their heads, distinguishing them from stripenecked musk turtles and young snapping turtles. The bog turtles there are small turtles in the world, but the bog turtle is the smallest and is one of the most rare turtles around. Biokids kids inquiry of diverse species, sternotherus. Common musk turtle sternotherus odoratus reptiles and. General most mud and musk turtles are small, hardy, and inquisitive, making them some of the best turtles to keep indoors. Find out everything you need to know to keep musk turtles at home. They are found in eastern north america, usually in slowmoving waters. Eastern musk turtles spend much of their time walking on the bottom, foraging for snails, fingernail clams and aquatic insects. New stinkpot musk turtle owner need tank designsetup. The common musk turtle has an olivebrown to black carapace, sometimes marked with dark spots or streaks. This bearded dragon care sheet will cover just about everything you need. The carapace is smooth and domed, and may have green algae growing on its surface. This interesting turtle is endemic to north america and is considered a terrapin.
These are a very fascinating animal to own as a pet, the best way to raise these turtles i have found is to offer them live foods such as they are use to eating in the wild as soon as your new pet arrives, in the wild they are use to beginning their feeding with slugs, small fish, frogs, and many small insects, in captivity this diet is best supplemented with. Their range extends west to the great lakes region, through illinois, to western kansas and oklahoma and reaches its western most distribution in. You will also note that the carapace of the loggerhead musk turtle is a bit serrated. Their small size and the fact that they prefer shallow water, make eastern musk turtles easier to. The keel typically flattens in adults, but it will be highly prominent amongst common musk hatchlings and juveniles. The family contains 25 species within four genera, but taxonomic reclassification is an ongoing process, so many sources vary on the exact numbers of species and subspecies. They inhabit slow moving and still waters across north america, where they feed on small invertebrates, fish, and a small amount aquatic plant matter. This is probably an adaptation to its habitat, where the water temperatures in the springs maintain a constant temperature in the low 70s year round. Musk terrapins, stinkpot turtle, sternotherus odouratus suitability as an exotic pet. There are two distinct stripes on the head and barbels on both the chin and throat. Stinkpots have the standard north american musk turtle formfactor. I have had a razorback musk turtle and a redeared slider for the past 2 12 years. Sternotherus odoratus is a species of small turtle in the family kinosternidae.
Musk turtle, genus sternotherus, any of four species of small freshwater turtles belonging to the family kinosternidae. In order to defend itself, common musk turtle releases a musky odor to scare away enemies. The basking area can be set up using a specially designed turtle island or a piece of flat cork bark. These turtles live in shallow bodies of warm water with moderate to heavy vegetation and soft muddy bottoms. Musk turtles enjoy swimming so that means they require a slightly large tank to accommodate this hobby. The pectoral scute the parts of the lower shell immediately adjacent to the front hinge is triangular in shape on the mud turtle and roughly rectangular on the musk turtle. If an eastern musk turtle is used to being around or handled by humans, the lack of fear means a distinct lack of stink. Dec 16, 2017 meet the intermediate musk turtle, alabamas newest turtle species photo of an intermediate musk turtles stunning carapace by john trent via facebook peter scott, a post doctoral scholar at ucla, who received his phd at the university of alabama was not trying to discover a new species of turtle. Bearded dragon care 101s bearded dragon care sheet publication date july 20 written and published by. Stinkpot musk turtles are bottom dwellers, and we suggest 23 water depth and some plastic plants for hiding. Razorbacks are much lighter in color than most muds and musks. Mud musk turtle care sheet this includes information on mud turtles, musk turtles, and sidenecked turtles. Originating out of north america this species is found from florida to maine to california. Pdf diet of radiotracked musk turtles, sternotherus odoratus, in a.
The common musk turtle my choice for perfect pet turtle. You may print one copy of this ebook for your own personal use. The common musk turtle is an ideal beginner species due to their adult size and ease of care. The bottom shell plastron is light colored and much smaller than the upper shell, and has skin showing between the scales.
Dec 16, 2011 showing you how to care for a musk turtle. Yellow mud turtles do not have yellow markings on the side of. When threatened, the common musk turtle may bite and scratch fiercely. Two key identifying features on the relatively small. I bought a used tank 72 x 24 x 24 and will be using a wetdry filtration system. Submerged and emergent deadwood is likely an important habitat feature. The musk turtles musk turtles, also known as stinkpots, seem to prefer deep, still water in lakes, ponds, and sluggish streams with muddy bottoms and an abundance of plant life. Contents1 musk turtles as pets2 musk turtle tanks3 electrical equipment3.
The diet consists primarily of mollusks and aquatic insects. Specially designed turtle islands can be bought or a piece of flat cork can be fixed in place under the basking spot to create the dry area. Semiaquatic turtles split their time between land and water. Like many turtles, they are a long term commitment, and may live in excess of 40 years. Sternotherus odoratus, or the common musk turtle, is a widespread and abundant species that can be found along the coast of the eastern united states from the northeastern states down into florida.
Razorbacks are omnivores, taking pellets, fish, crustaceans, insects, meat, worms and aquatic plants. Similar results have been described for the common musk turtle, sternotherus odorantus lewis et al. Musk turtle care sheet provide a basking area on dry land to allow the turtle to bask. As their name suggests, they have a very prominent keeled shell, and a hinged bottom. The stinkpot musk turtles for sale are captive bred. In this guide ill be breaking down every step in turn so your musk turtles remain happy and healthy for life.
Common musk turtle sternotherus odoratus photos by j. Walks on the bottom of the stream or pond instead of swimming like other turtles. Razorback musk turtle for sale from the turtle source. The musk turtle is among the most popular turtles kept as pets. It likes to feed on carrion, tadpoles, clams of fresh water, crayfish, aquatic larvae and insects and invertebrates. Musk turtles are named for the strong, musky odour they emit when disturbed. Male european pond turtles, emys orbicularis, also prefer water with female cues. The skin is dark, and the heads have two light colored lines on each side.
They live 1015 years on average and vary in size depending on species maximum is generally 9 inches. The common musk turtle is a small species reaching an adult length of 7. Take care not to drop your turtle or allow them to wander off a table. They inhabit slowmoving bodies of water, often with soft, muddy bottoms and abundant vegetation. Common musk turtles or stinkpots have small plastrons bottom of shell with a single hinge that provides little to no protection for their legs, distinguishing them from the similar mud turtles. Neither turtles lower shell is sufficient to provide complete enclosure of the head, legs and tail, as in the box turtle.
With proper care these turtles can live 3040 years in captivity. Their small size and the fact that they prefer shallow water, make eastern musk turtles easier to care for than many other turtle species. Aug 26, 2011 just a simple care video for stinkpotcommon musk turtles enjoy. Seems to be the best solution from my research in terms of cleaning. It occurs along our mississippi river counties and in the southern twothirds of the state.
However, i have never kept a musk turtle before and would like to make sure i get his habitat set up correctly. Response of common musk turtles sternotherus odoratus to. They are a hardy, robust species, with bags of character and a curious nature, and their small size makes them easier to accommodate than most other turtle species. Learn how to care for aquatic turtles available at petco. Care sheets provide you with essential info on how to best take care of these. Well make sure you get all the right knowledge to care for your turtle. Kurt buhlmann is an associate research scientist at the university of georgias savannah river ecology laboratory. Musk turtle care sheet turtle care, musk turtle, pet. Most pets will eat pelleted turtle foods, as well, including reptomin and mazuri freshwater turtle diet. When looking at these turtles, you will also notice that they have a fairly large head, and it is the size of their head that contributed to their common name. From gray to almost silver, or light brown to orange with spotted or streaked darker markings, they are one of the prettiest. Musk turtles use a variety of water bodies that have a soft, muddy substrate, submerged vegetation, and little or no current.
Luckily, this only happens when the turtle senses danger. This ebook is for general information on keeping bearded dragons as pets. These are a very fascinating animal to own as a pet, the best way to raise these turtles i have found is to offer them live foods such as they are use to eating in the wild as soon as your new pet arrives, in the wild they are use to beginning. Living in slow moving streams, permanent ponds, and lakes. This species can be differentiated from the similar mud turtles kinosternon sp. Hatchlings require a water depth that is open to approximately four.
Musk turtle care sheet turtle care, musk turtle, pet turtle. Pet common musk turtles will eat earthworms, cutup fish and shrimp, crickets and bloodworms. Musk turtles vary in five different species but the ways in which to care for them are very similar if not the same musk turtles enjoy swimming so that means they require a slightly large tank to accommodate this hobby. I have 2 sliders and 2 box turtles currently and i understand the musk is a wader which i have never dealt with before. Pdf we used radiotelemetry to assess the diet of sternotherus odoratus in gin creek, arkansas, usa. I received a musk turtle for chirstmas and he is the sweetest thing. Basking is usually limited to spring, when females may choose to elevate their body temperatures to speed egg development. Meet the intermediate musk turtle, alabamas newest turtle. Your aquarium is where your pet turtle will reside for more than twenty years so it is an investment.
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