Roof Musk Turtle
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Roof Musk Turtle ( Sternotherus carinatus ) |
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| Sternotherus carinatus | ||||||||||||
| ( Gray , 1855) |
The roof musk turtle ( Sternotherus carinatus ) is a small to medium-sized freshwater turtle.
description
The carapace is light brown, beige to olive brown in color and has dark spots and line drawings on each shield, the individual carapace shields are surrounded by a dark narrow strip. The German common name indicates the pronounced central keel, which is reminiscent of a roof. In younger specimens, the keel can be particularly pronounced and flatten out with increasing age.
The plastron shields are only very weakly developed (somewhat stronger in the female), whereby the color can fluctuate between yellow and brown. There are light-colored connective tissue sutures between the individual horn plates (more developed in the male).
The soft parts of the species are gray to gray-brown in color with black speckles, the jaw is adorned with black stripes. There is a pair of barbels on the chin.
In the young animals of the species, the carapace, plastron and the soft tissues are colored light brown and have different dot and line patterns. The rear edge of the carapace is jagged.
The males of the roof musk turtle are up to 17.5 cm long, while females reach a maximum body length of 13 cm. This makes it the largest species in the genus Sternotherus .
distribution
The species is common in the southern United States . It is distributed in the area from southeast Oklahoma and central Arkansas to central Texas and Mississippi and occurs to the Gulf of Mexico .
Natural habitat
The rooftop musk turtle's habitat extends from large, slow-flowing rivers to swamps and floodplain areas with rich vegetation , with a soft, sandy bottom being preferred.
Way of life
Like all species of the genus Sternotherus , the roof musk turtle is a highly aquatic species that rarely leaves the water for sunbathing. It is strongly tied to its territory and does not go on long migrations. From December to February the animals go into a freeze , and hide in the ground and in the embankments are sought. The species is active in the early morning hours and afternoon to evening. The animal feeds omnivorously ; its food spectrum ranges from insects , crabs , mussels , snails and amphibians to carrion and aquatic plants .
Reproduction
The breeding season is mainly in the period from spring to autumn. This means that up to two clutches can be deposited per season . The clutch usually contains 2 to 5 eggs. Under natural conditions, the incubation period lasts 100 to 140 days. Thus, the hatchlings of the roof musk turtle hatch the latest in a comparison of the different Sternotherus species.
Specialty
The turtle owes the German name musk turtle to its musk glands, with the help of which it can secrete a strongly smelling secretion to drive away predators. The use of the glands is very rare when it is kept in an aquaterrarium . B. when it is picked up. They are not used free-swimming in the aquatic terrarium.
Keeping in the aquaterrarium
It is an easy-to-keep species that can manage with a tank of less than 200 liters even when fully grown. Due to the low swimming ability compared to other species, a well-structured pool with hiding places should be ensured. After a period of acclimatization, it can cope with a higher water level, but there should always be opportunities for ascent so that the water surface can also be reached by climbing. The diet consists of animal and vegetable parts. Since there can be intolerance to one another, the animals should be kept individually.
literature
- Maik shields: Mud turtles - Kinosternon, Sternotherus, Claudius and Staurotype. Natur und Tier-Verlag, Münster 2001, ISBN 3-931587-59-2 .
- Maik Schilde: The Musk Tortoise - Sternotherus odoratus. Natur und Tier-Verlag, Münster 2007, ISBN 978-3-937285-34-4 .
Web links
- Keeping and breeding of the roof musk turtle - Sternotherus carinatus
- Sternotherus carinatus in The Reptile Database
- Sternotherus carinatus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: van Dijk, P., 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2013.