''Sternotherus'' is a genus of turtles in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...

Kinosternidae The Kinosternidae are a family of mostly small turtles that includes the mud turtles and musk turtles. The family contains 25 species within four genera, but taxonomic reclassification is an ongoing process, so many sources vary on the exact num ...

including six species commonly known as musk turtles. The genus is endemic to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the C ...

, occurring in the eastern third of the USA and southeast Ontario, Canada. Musk glands positioned near the bridge of the shell can produce foul smelling secretions when the turtles are threatened, although genital handling does not normally provoke a response. ''Sternotherus'' are moderately small turtles, with the largest species in the genus, the razor-backed musk turtle ('' S. carinatus''), attaining a maximum of 17.6 cm. in shell length. The

carapace A carapace is a dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the under ...

is characteristically oval and domed (an exception being the flattened musk turtle, '' S. depressus''), with most species having one or three keels on the back which may become smoother and obscure with age in some species. Musk turtles are generally drab in color, mostly black, gray, brown, olive, or ocher, which aid in camouflaging them in their natural habitats. The head is relatively large and stout, marked with spots, streaks, or strips. The plastron has only 10 or 11 scutes, as opposed to 12, a more common condition in North American turtles. The tail is short, with males having a horny claw like tip. ''Sternotherus'' are largely aquatic, however some species frequently bask on fallen logs or rocks emerging from the water, and eastern musk turtles ('' S. odoratus'') occasionally leave the water to forage. ''Sternotherus'' are

omnivorous An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nut ...

and opportunistic generalist in their diet, although inclining toward being carnivorous, with

mollusks Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...

(

gastropods The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. Th ...

and

bivalves Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, biv ...

) and insects making up a significant percentage of their diet. Some older adults develop large musculature on the head and expanded, crushing jaw surfaces aiding in the consumption of mollusk. Musk turtles are

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...

with females producing one to six clutches a year. The typical clutch size is two to four eggs, although clutches may range from one to 13. The sex of the hatchlings is determined by the incubation temperature. The eggs are deposited in shallow nest excavated on the banks or in woodlands a few meters from the water. Eggs may be laid singly, or in groups, and some species are known to share communal nesting areas.Ernst, Carl, H. and Jeffrey E. Lovich. 2009. ''Turtles of the United States and Canada, 2nd. Ed.'' The Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, MD. xii, 827 pp.

Etymology

The generic name ''Sternotherus'' is Greek meaning hinged breast or chest, referring to the hinged plastron.Zug, George. 1986.
Sternotherus.
' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 397:1-3. The trivial names, or specific epithets include: ''carinatus'' – Latin for keeled in reference to the shape of the

;Iverson, John B. 1979.
Sternotherus carinatus
'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 226:1-2. ''depressus'' – Latin for pressed down or low also referring to the shape of the carapace;Iverson, John B. 1977.
Sternotherus depressus
'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 194: 1-2. ''intermedius'' – Latin for intermediate, historically believed to be a hybrid from between ''S. minor'' and ''S. peltifer'';Scott, Peter A., Travis C. Glenn, and , Leslie J. Rissler. 2017. ''Resolving taxonomic turbulence and uncovering cryptic diversity in the musk turtles (Sternotherus) using robust demographic modeling.'' Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 120: 1-15. ''minor'' – Latin referencing its relatively small size compared to ''S. carinatus'';Iverson, John B. 1977.
Sternotherus minor.
' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 195: 1-2. ''odoratus'' – Latin for having an odor, referring the smell of the musk produced by its scent glands;Reynolds, Samuel L. and Michael E. Seidel. 1982.
Sternotherus odoratus.
' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 287: 1-4. ''peltifer'' – Latin meaning bearing a small shield, in reference to the small size of the scutes on the bridge the species.

Taxonomy

''Sternotherus'' is one of four genera in the family

including: narrow-bridged musk turtles (''

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''), American mud turtles ('' Kinosternon''), giant musk turtles ('' Staurotypus''), and musk turtles (''Sternotherus''). ''Sternotherus'' are closely related, similar in appearance, and sympatric in much of their range with some species of mud turtles (''Kinosternon''), and the two genera constitute the subfamily Kinosterninae within the family Kinosternidae. In the past some taxonomist placed ''Sternotherus'' in the synonymy of the genus ''Kinosternon''Iverson, John B., 1991. ''Phylogenetic hypotheses for the evolution of modern kinosternine turtles.'' Herpetological Monographs, No. 5: 1-27.Iverson, John B. 1992. ''A Revised Checklist with Distribution Maps of the Turtles of the World.'' Green Nature Books Homestead, Florida. 363 pp. but they are generally regarded as two separate genera with six species currently (2022) recognized in the genus Sternotherus.Uetz, Peter, Paul Freed, , Aguilar, R. & Hošek, J. (eds.) (2021) ''The Reptile Database'': http://www.reptile-database.org, (accessed March 5, 2022) Genus *''Sternotherus'' Bell, T. ''in'' Gray, John Edward. 1825. ''A synopsis of the genera of reptiles and Amphibia, with a description of some new species.'' Annals of Philosophy 10: 193-217. – musk turtles Extant species *''Sternotherus carinatus'' Gray, John Edward. 1855 856 ''Catalogue of Shield Reptiles in the Collection of the British Museum. Part I. Testudinata (Tortoises).'' Taylor and Francis, London, 79 pp. – razor-backed musk turtle *''Sternotherus depressus'' Tinkle, Donald W., and Robert G. Webb 1955. ''A new species of Sternotherus with a discussion of the Sternotherus carinatus complex (Chelonia, Kinosternidae).'' Tulane Studies in Zoology 3 (3): 53. – flattened musk turtle *''Sternotherus intermedius'' – intermediate musk turtle *''Sternotherus minor'' Agassiz, Louis 1857. ''Contributions to the Natural History of the United States of America.'' Vol. 1. Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 452 pp. – loggerhead musk turtle *''Sternotherus odoratus'' Latreille, Pierre André. 1801

802 Year 802 ( DCCCII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * October 31 – Empress Irene is deposed after a 5-year reign, and banish ...

In: C.N.S. Sonnini de Manoncourt and P.A. Latreille. ''Histoire Naturelle des Reptiles, avec Figures Déssinnées d'après Nature.'' Détérville, Paris, Vol. 1. xx + 280 p. – eastern musk turtleCrother, Brian I. (ed.). 2017.
Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding.
' SSAR Herpetological Circular 43, 1–102 pp. ee page 90 *''Sternotherus peltifer'' Smith, Hobart M. & Bryan P. Glass. 1947. ''A new musk turtle for southeastern United States.'' Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences. 37 (1): 22-24. – stripeneck musk turtle Fossil species *''† Sternotherus palaeodorus'' ''

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atte ...

'': A

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Sternotherus''.

Description

Turtles in the genus ''Sternotherus'' are very similar to the American mud turtles in the genus '' Kinosternon'', but tend to have a more

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a ...

, with a distinctive keel down the center of it. '' Sternotherus odoratus'' typically grows to only in straight carapace length at full maturity, with females often being larger than males.

Distribution

The genus ''Sternotherus'' is endemic to North America. It occurs in the approximant eastern third of the USA and extreme southeast

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada. The eastern musk turtle (''S. odoratus''), the most wide-ranging species of the genus, occurs in southern

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

, south to

Florida Florida is a U.S. state, state located in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia (U.S. state), Geo ...

, west into eastern

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

, and

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...

, and north to southeast

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michi ...

, southern

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, and the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lak ...

region of southern Ontario. It is generally absent from higher elevations in the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a mountain range, system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovicia ...

. The other species in the genus largely occur within the southern regions of the eastern musk turtle's range. Two species have relatively limited distributions, the flattened musk turtle (''S. depressus'') is endemic to north-central

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,76 ...

in the

Black Warrior River The Black Warrior River is a waterway in west-central Alabama in the southeastern United States. The river rises in the extreme southern edges of the Appalachian Highlands and flows 178 miles (286 km) to the Tombigbee River, of which the Bl ...

basin above the

fall line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is typically prominent where rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the coas ...

, and the intermediate musk turtle (''S. intermedius'') is found in southeastern Alabama and adjacent areas of the

Florida panhandle The Florida Panhandle (also West Florida and Northwest Florida) is the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Florida; it is a salient roughly long and wide, lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia on the north, and the G ...

in the Choctawhatchee, Conecuh,

Yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the ...

Pea The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds an ...

, Blackwater, and Escambia rivers. The razor-backed musk turtle (''S. carinatus'') occurs throughout

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, and neighboring areas of

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Missis ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Os ...

, Oklahoma, and Texas. The loggerhead musk turtle (''S. minor)'' is found in extreme southeast Alabama,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, and northern Florida. The stripe-necked musk turtle (''S. peltifer'') predominantly occurs in Alabama and Mississippi with some peripheral records from Georgia, and Louisiana, and ranging into northern watersheds in eastern

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

with marginal records from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

, and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

. Powell, Robert, Roger Conant, and Joseph T. Collins 2016. ''Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition.'' Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiii + 494 pp. ages 227-229

Ecology and natural history

Eastern Musk Turtle (35369688276) (cropped)

Diet: ''Sternotherus'' are omnivorous. The loggerhead (''S. minor'') and stripe-necked musk turtle (''S. peltifer'') have been described as opportunistic generalist tending toward carnivory.

Mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is es ...

make up a significant portion of the diet in all species, particularly adults. Juveniles and sub-adults (under 5 cm.) feed on a higher percentage of aquatic insects, algae, and carrion. An

ontogenetic Ontogeny (also ontogenesis) is the origination and development of an organism (both physical and psychological, e.g., moral development), usually from the time of fertilization of the egg to adult. The term can also be used to refer to the st ...

change in diet occurs and adults shift to an omnivorous diet with a high percentage of mollusk. Food items include mollusks (

and

), insects (including larva, adults, aquatic and terrestrial),

crustaceans Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group ...

(crayfish and crabs), worms (earthworms and leeches), amphibians (tadpoles and small frogs),

carrion Carrion () is the decaying flesh of dead animals, including human flesh. Overview Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters (or scavengers) include crows, vultures, c ...

, filamantous green algae, parts of vascular plants and seeds (e.g. ''

Prunus ''Prunus'' is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes (among many others) the fruits plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and almonds. Native to the North American temperate regions, the neotropics of South America, and the pale ...

'', ''

Sambucus ''Sambucus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae. The various species are commonly called elder or elderberry. The genus was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified as Adoxaceae due to ...

'', '' Ulmus'', '' Podostemum''). Some novel and less common documented food items include spiders, millipedes, small fish and fish eggs,

isopods Isopoda is an order of crustaceans that includes woodlice and their relatives. Isopods live in the sea, in fresh water, or on land. All have rigid, segmented exoskeletons, two pairs of antennae, seven pairs of jointed limbs on the thorax, an ...

, and small turtles. The flattened musk turtle (''S. depressus'') is known to feed on introduced Asian clams (''Corbicula maniliensis'').Marion, Ken R., William A. Cox, and Carl H. Ernst. 1991. ''Prey of the flattened musk turtle, Sternotherus depressus.'' Journal of Herpetology 25.3 (1991): 385-387 Mahmoud, I. Y. 1968. ''Feeding behavior in kinosternid turtles.'' Herpetologica, 24(4), 300-305. The razor-backed (''S. carinatus'') and eastern musk turtles (''S. odoratus'') are known to be bottom feeders, often searching with the neck extended and probing the mud and sand with their heads.

Olfaction The sense of smell, or olfaction, is the special sense through which smells (or odors) are perceived. The sense of smell has many functions, including detecting desirable foods, hazards, and pheromones, and plays a role in taste. In humans, it ...

is probably important in the location and selection of food items. However, musk turtles occasionally feed at the surface and are also known to eat out of the water. Eastern musk turtles (''S. odoratus'') have occasionally been observed leaving the water at dusk to feed on slugs on land. Some larger adults develop hypertrophied head musculature and expanded crushing surfaces on both the upper and lower jaws that aid in eating mollusk. One study concluded razor-backed (''S. carinatus'') and eastern musk turtles (''S. odoratus'') were "euryphagous with food preferences directly related to the availability of food." Another study found the diet of the eastern musk turtle (''S. odoratus'') varied seasonally and males ate more insects and females more snails.Bancroft, G. Thomas, J. Steve Godley, Dena T. Gross, N. Nan Rojas, Dareth A. Sutphen, and Roy W. McDiarmid. 1983. ''Large-scale operations management test of use of the white amur for control of problem aquatic plants: the herpetofauna of Lake Conway: species accounts''. Misc, Pap. A-85-5. Army Eng. Waterw. Exp. Stn. Vickburg, Mississippi. Digestive turnover rates, from ingestion to defecation, of 49 hours (''S. odoratus'') to 57 hours (''S. minor, S. peltifer'') have been reported, although temperatures may influence these times.Parmenter, Robert R. 1981. ''Digestive turnover rates in freshwater turtles: the influence of temperature and body size.'' Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology 70.2: 235-238. Habitat:''Sternotherus'' are largely aquatic, but some species bask frequently, and may occasionally leave the water to forage and lay eggs. Fallen logs and deadwood submerged and emerging from the water are important for shelter and basking sites for all species of ''Sternotherus''. Habitat preferences varies among some species. The eastern musk turtle (''S. odoratus'') tends to be generalist and may occur in almost any body of water, as are loggerheads (''S. minor'') to a lesser extent, although water with slow or no currents, soft bottoms, and shelter in the form of logs and rocks are usually preferred over very deep water and swift currents. Eastern musk turtles have been found at depths of 9 meters but, shallower water (ca. 1 meter), are more typical. Brackish water is usually avoided. Depths of 0.5–1.5 meters are typical for loggerheads (''S. minor''), but they have been found at 13 meters.Hensley, F. R. 1995. ''Sternotherus minor (loggerhead musk turtle) Foraging depth.'' Herpetological Review 26: 99. The razor-backed musk turtle (''S. carinatus'') favors the relatively deeper waters of rivers, creeks, bayous, and associated oxbow lakes, backwater swamps, and floodplains where slower currents and soft substrates are found. The stripe-necked musk turtle (''S. peltifer'') are

lotic River ecosystems are flowing waters that drain the landscape, and include the biotic (living) interactions amongst plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic (nonliving) physical and chemical interactions of its many parts.Angelier ...

, preferring the currents of rivers and streams although they can be abundant in lakes and impoundments along these waterways as well. The flattened musk turtle (''S. depressus'') is an inhabitant of clear, rocky to sandy bottom creeks and streams above the fall line, typically 1.5 meters or less in depth, taking shelter under logs and rocks, or burring in the sand. The intermediate musk turtle (''S. intermedius'') was regarded as a hybrid between ''S m. minor'' and ''S. m. peltifer'' as recently as 2017, and few if any studies specifically examining the ecology of the species have been published (as of 2022). In one ecological study of kinosternid turtles conducted over five years in

, permanent bodies of lotic (moving) water in wooded areas such as large rivers and creeks were the favored habitats of both razor-backed (''S. carinatus'') and eastern musk turtles (''S. odoratus''), however, ''S. carinatus'' was generally found in deeper water. No sexual, age, or seasonal differences were observed in habitat selection other than juveniles preferred shallower water than adults. The two species were strictly aquatic and terrestrial migrations occurred only during the breeding season. When inactive, both specie hid under rocks, logs, and overhanging banks, but did not show the burrowing proclivities that '' Kinosternon'' did. Turtles were found in abundance in quiet waters where submerged and floating vegetation such as algae, '' Nasturtium'', ''

Polygonum ''Polygonum'' is a genus of about 130 species of flowering plant in the buckwheat and knotweed family Polygonaceae. Common names include knotweed and knotgrass (though the common names may refer more broadly to plants from Polygonaceae). In t ...

'', ''

Myriophyllum ''Myriophyllum'' (water milfoil) is a genus of about 69 species of freshwater aquatic plants, with a cosmopolitan distribution. The center of diversity for ''Myriophyllum'' is Australia with 43 recognized species (37 endemic). These submersed a ...

'', ''

Najas ''Najas'', the water-nymphs or naiads, is a genus of aquatic plants. It is cosmopolitan in distribution, first described for modern science by Linnaeus in 1753. Until 1997, it was rarely placed in the Hydrocharitaceae,Angiosperm Phylogeny Gr ...

'', and ''

Potamogeton ''Potamogeton'' is a genus of aquatic, mostly freshwater, plants of the family Potamogetonaceae. Most are known by the common name pondweed, although many unrelated plants may be called pondweed, such as Canadian pondweed (''Elodea canadensis' ...

'' formed in mats and provided food and suitable shelter. Light intensity, pH levels, and transparency of water were examined, although it was concluded they were probably not directly limiting factors for the turtles, but did affect the distribution of vegetation and prey which provided food for the turtles..Mahmound, I. Y. 1969. ''Comparative ecology of the kinosternid turtles of Oklahoma.'' Southwestern Naturalist 14: 31-66. Behavior: ''Sternotherus'' is a highly aquatic genus. But some species, like the common musk turtle, are known to bask on fallen trees and coarse woody debris on shorelines. The thermal activity range and annual activity period was longer for ''Sternothaerus'' than ''Kinosternon''

Gallery

File:Razorback Musk Turtle (Sternotherus carinatus) (24797975727).jpg, Razorback musk turtle (''Sternotherus carinatus''), Saline County, Arkansas (July 28, 2017) File:Razorback Musk Turtle (Sternotherus carinatus) Hardin Co. Texas. photo W. L. Farr.jpg, Razorback musk turtle (''Sternotherus carinatus''), in-situ, Hardin County, Texas (October 10, 2013) File:Sternotherus odoratus, Kerr Co. TX; 8 May 2014.jpg, Eastern musk turtle (''Sternotherus odoratus''), in-situ, Kerr County, Texas (8 May 2014)

References

External links

*Walker, Matt (2010).
Turtle 'super tongue' lets reptile survive underwater".
''BBC Earth News''. 20 May 2010. * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2137899 Taxa named by Thomas Bell (zoologist) Turtle genera

Etymology

Taxonomy

Description

Distribution

Ecology and natural history

Gallery

References

Further reading

External links