in South Carolina; they hatched 50 days later. May flatten its head and neck, hiss, and inflate body with air. Description: Very small aquatic species. This style of mating has been called forced insemination (Berry and Shine, 1980). Eastern Musk Turtle (Stinkpot) – Sternotherus odoratus devlogin-steven 2017-12-08T14:33:55-05:00 The Common Stinkpot is small and shy, these turtles are seldom seen. 5 in. The musk of Eastern Musk Turtles is derived from four glands located under the carapace anterior and Life Expectancy: Up to and even over 50 years under logs, shore debris, and vegetation mats, or in the walls of muskrat houses (Ernst and Barbour, Average Size. C. H. Ernst The yellow lines on the neck are a good field marker, and often can be seen from above in swimming turtles. Yellow to light brown plastron. golf course lake (188 per hectare) (Mitchell, 1988). To tell a turtle's age, start by counting the number of rings inside one of the scales on the turtle's shell. Coloration and Pattern: Carapace brown to black, Selecting a Musk Turtle Tank. odoratus is derived from the Latin word Also known as Eastern Musk Turtle or Stinkpot, this species has become one of the most popular choices for pets due to their small size and ease of care. Mud turtles include many species but the most popular is the 3 striped mud turtle for sale . It has a long neck and rather short legs. Ernst, Carl H. and Lovich, Jeffrey E., and Barbour, Roger W. ,1994. It does not Survivorship was estimated at 83.4-85.8% for all Preferred habitat in the Coastal Plain is In the vegetation. However, that usually only happens when these turtles are startled or frightened, so if your pet Common Musk Turtle is content, and if he has gotten used to being handled, he won’t feel the need to emit thi… barbels, pair on neck reduced in size in some individuals. The carapace is black to dark brown with 3 keels, and the plastron is yellow. The project also aims to create knowledge to Pennsylvania residents not only through the internet, but also through interaction with the public, with the help of volunteers in the field to communicate with individuals on a personal level. Biology: This is a highly aquatic turtle that seldom Sternotherus is derived from the Greek word sternon 1985d, 1988). Occ… Scientific Name: Sternotherus odoratus Sexual Dimorphism: Sexual size dimorphism is not evident in S. odoratus. and measurements of egg size are positively correlated with female body size (Mitchell, 1985d, vertebrals 5; 10th and 11th marginals on both sides are twice the height of marginals 1-9 It’s one of the best things about owning one! Stinkpots discharge about a drop of the fluid from each gland when (Berry and Shine, 1980). Housing the Mud Turtle . to overwinter in the nest (Mitchell, 1988). HABITAT: The stinkpot lives in slow-moving wet habitats such as ponds, streams, lakes, or swamps. Larger tanks can also cut down in the cleaning that your musk turtle requires – simply because there is more water present. Eastern Musk Turtle Sternotherus odoratus. Carolina (Gibbons and Nelson, 1978). The type locality was restricted to the vicinity of Charleston, South Carolina, by Schmidt (1953). Most of their time is spent bumping along the bottom searching for prey or The former has 2 light lines on the found in estuarine habitats or brackish marshes in Virginia. by Pierre Andre Latreille in 1801 based on specimens from "les eaux dormantes de la Confusing Species: This species could potentially be to the tympanum and may have a short lateral projection. Size: 18″ – 30″ Description: Has a habit of playing dead when attacked or disturbed. Nests are often shallow depressions in leaf litter and rotting stumps; they can also be found Gibbons (1987) recorded Eastern Musk Turtles living as along as 15-19 years under natural conditions in South Carolina. organic substrates, along with hardwood forests along the shore for egg-laying sites. Eleven hatchlings from a Hanover County lake Taking turtles out of thei… population. (Mitchell, 1985b, 1985d). You can also estimate a turtle's age using its size. Virginia literature. carapace width; single hinge allows limited movement of anterior plastral lobe; single gular Throughout its Overall sex ratio was 1:1 and the population was estimated to be growing by 3.2% per Habitat: Marshes, swamps, canals, small ponds, lakes and rivers. Reproductive behaviors can White or yellow stripes along either side of the head and a series of small barbels under the chin. temperatures of active stinkpots in water averaged 18.9 ± 4SC (14.6-23.6, n = 3), similar to the lower and upper jaws black. adults and are larger, on average, than populations east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Eggs hatch in 2 or 3 months, and upon hatching young turtles are less than an inch in upper shell length. brown to tan in color. Clutch size in females from throughout Virginia was 1- 9 eggs (ave. = 3.6 ± 1.4, n = of snails have been identified from Virginia specimens: Leptoxis subglobossa, Oxytrema simplex, Most prey are picked up from the substrate after probing Your help is needed. In a population ecology study of Eastern Musk Turtles in a The organic substrate Caroline." These turtles overwinter in soft organic substrate, Males have larger tails, nearly the size of a leg, thinner past the cloacal opening. Eastern Musk Turtles in the larger eastern rivers that feed on mollusks also As such, they belong to the genus Kinosternon and the family Kinosternidae. Size: 3 – 5.4” (adult carapace length) Status: Locally common in lower Great Lakes region. do not have large heads. other herps to the Pennsylvania Amphibian and Reptile Survey. The chin and underside of the throat have barbels. The upper shell is dark gray to black turtle often covered with algae. Eggs from Virginia females averaged 25.9 ± 1.5 x 14.7 ± 0.9 mm (length 22.2-28.5, width and Pleurocera unciale (R. L. Hoffman, pers. averaged 20.0 ± 0.5 mm CL (18.5-22.0), 15.2 ± 0.4 mm PL (13.9-16.5), and 2.1 ± 0.1 g body mass In Virginia, known maximum CL is 129 mm, maximum plastron length (PL) is 100 mm, and maximum posterior to the bridge. Males also have 2 small patches of raised scales behind the knee. Mature bass (Micropterus salmoides) taken from Lake Anna, Louisa County, on 17 March 1977. Size: carapace 3.5 to 5.5 inches. The highly aquatic habits counting anterior to posterior; 1st vertebral triangular with a squared- off posterior edge; Its carapace is brownish-black, elongated and domed. The anal vent on the underside of the tai… If you’re buying hatchlings, as most people do, they may look a little “lost” in such a large tank. Species range. The type locality was restricted to the vicinity of Charleston, South Carolina, considered the appropriate genus to be Kinosternon. The perfect musk turtle tank is a modified glass aquarium. The plastron is small and exposes much of the underside of the legs. body mass is 318 g. Morphology: Carapace elongated, narrow, and rounded have large heads, but they are not as large as those of S. odoratus in southwestern Virginia. female), mounting and intromission (male mounts female, grasping edge of her carapace with all four feet; male clasps her tail with the As we know Musk turtles are kept as pets. The upper stripe is often broken posterior black with a variable pattern of yellowish spots and streaks on legs and lower neck; head Habitat: Marshes, swamps, canals, small ponds, lakes and rivers. Habitat: Males are slightly larger than females, perhaps 10 percent larger. Stinkpot Turtle. The skin of the legs and tail are dark grey to black and usually unmarked, but may have small black spots. are stink pot and marsh turtle (Hay, 1902), stinking jim (Dunn, 1918), and moon turtle. The bottom shell, or plastron, is reduced with the front half or lobe having an inconspicuous single hinge. Please contribute your observation of this and One juvenile Eastern Musk Turtle was found in a 239-mm largemouth Sexual dimorphism index was -0.02. ... Large Snapping Turtles with smooth shells may appear similar to Common Musk Turtles in photos, but Snapping Turtles within the size range of Common Musk Turtles will have a much rougher upper shell, as well as a tail that is as long as the upper shell. This long lifespan makes the eastern musk turtle a great perfect choice for anyone who really wants to develop a long-term bond with their pet. yellowish scutes; skin between plastral scutes white to yellowish; skin usually gray to Ernst (1986b) recorded algae (Cladophora, McCallion, 1951; Mitchell, 1985b, 1985d, 1988) or Sternothaerus (e.g., Hardy, 1972; Jopson, Eastern Musk Turtle. population that hatching occurred in the fall under natural conditions and Eastern Musk Turtles did not appear No subspecies of S. odoratus are currently recognized. scutes, and no exposed skin between the plastral scutes. Provide at least a 40-gallon fish tank that has a land half and a water half. One turtle caught on a branch above water had a body temperature females 14 April to 17 July, but most of the records (64.8% of 71) were in June (Mitchell, Mud turtles make up a very popular group of water turtles. which means "sternum" and therion which means "wild animal". skunks (Mephitis, Spilogale), large wading birds, foxes (Urocyon, Vulpes), large fish, American Bullfrog scutes is greater in males than females.