Small musk turtle
| Small musk turtle | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sternotherus minor peltifer , young animal |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Sternotherus minor | ||||||||||||
| ( Agassiz , 1857) |
The small musk turtle ( Sternotherus minor ) is a small, freshwater turtle species.
description
The carapace is colored light brown to dark brown and has dark spots and line drawings. The individual carapace shields are surrounded by black stripes. Three keels can be seen, the two lateral keels disappearing with age. The plastron is only small, the color can range from yellow, orange to pink, the seams of connective tissue are particularly emphasized.
The head shows a gray-brown color with black dot or line patterns. Other soft tissues have a black dot pattern similar to the head, but no stripes. There is a pair of barbels on the chin.
The small musk turtle can reach a size of 7.5 to 14.5 cm, with both sexes being about the same size. Thus, despite the name, the species reaches a size similar to the common musk turtle . Males reach sexual maturity at around 5 to 11 years of age and females at around 8-12 years of age.
Way of life
The small musk turtle is a highly aquatic species that rarely leaves the water to sunbathe. Here, fallen trees or branches are used as a sun place, the species climbs very well. The animals from the southern area of distribution are active throughout the year, the northern occurrences take place during the winter from December to February a hibernation . The species is active all day, with the main activity falling in the morning hours. It feeds mainly on snails, aquatic insects, amphibians and also carrion. Vegetables are also taken in to a small extent. Due to the stronger jaws, the small musk turtle is slightly better adapted to breaking snails and mussels compared to the common musk turtle .
Reproduction
The breeding season is mainly in the period from March to April and September to November. This means that 2–5 clutches can be weaned per season . The clutches usually contain 1–5 eggs. Under natural conditions, the incubation period is 61–119 days.
Specialty
The turtle owes the German name musk turtle to its musk glands, with the help of which it can secrete a strong smelling secretion in order to drive away predators.
distribution
The species is common in the southern United States . The populated area stretches from southwest Virginia , east Tennessee and east Georgia through central Florida to the Pearl River .
habitat
All kinds of fresh water such as lakes, ponds, swamp bodies, ponds, rivers and brooks are populated, whereby slowly flowing bodies of water with a sandy bottom are favored. The species prefers to stay in shallow water areas, but has also been found at depths of five meters.
Systematics
Today 2 subspecies are distinguished. In the past, Sternotherus depressus was counted as a subspecies, which is now regarded as a separate species.
Sternotherus minor minor (Agassiz 1857)
The soft parts of the nominate form are colored gray-brown and have a black dot pattern. The plastron is pink to whitish in color. The young have three keels.
- Distribution: Eastern distribution area of the species
The subspecies prefers stagnant water compared to the Sternotherus minor peltifer .
Sternotherus minor peltifer Smith & Glass 1947
The soft parts of the subspecies are gray-brown and have a black stripe pattern. The plastron is orange. The young have only one keel. S. m. Compared to the nominate form, peltifer has a slimmer build. The maximum size is 10–12 cm.
- Distribution: Western distribution area of the species
The subspecies prefers flowing waters and is significantly less aggressive than the nominate form.
Keeping in the aquaterrarium
The attitude is comparable to that of the common musk turtle . It is an easy-to-keep species that can get by with a basin of less than 200 liters even in adulthood. 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 mainly of animal components, although some specimens also use plant-based food. Snails, mussels, fish, mosquito larvae and various insects are on the menu. The animals are very incompatible with one another and with other species, which is why only individual keeping is possible.
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 .
- Holger Vetter: Terralog. North America. Chimaira Buchhandelsgesellschaft mbH, Frankfurt am Main 2004, ISBN 3-930612-57-7 .
Web links
- Sternotherus minor in The Reptile Database
- Sternotherus minor inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: van Dijk, PP, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2013.