The Striped mud turtle (Kinosternon baurii) is native to the southeastern United States. The main distribution area is the Florida panhandle, but the species is also present in the coastal lowlands of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia. In general, the species is considered common and not endangered, and is not subject to trade restrictions or species protection laws. But, the local population of the Florida Keys is threatened by the destruction of the biotope and, therefore, has been placed under protection in the United States. Trade has no impact on natural populations.

The Striped mud turtle it has an oval shape and a dark brown or black shell. The skin is dark and the underside of the shell is slightly yellowish.. In most places in Florida, animals have stripes on their shells that give them their names. But, there are regions where these turtles continue to have signs of these stripes or do not have any. this is known, for example, by populations of the Everglades.

These reptiles usually have two distinct stripes on their heads on each side.. This goes practically through the eye to the tip of the nose. Females have longer tails that are slightly bent at the end.. It is assumed that this fold serves to better cling to the female when courting and mating..

With a maximum shell length of only 12 cm in females, males are even smaller, about 10 cm., this turtle is really small. These are already record dimensions; females reach sexual maturity when they measure about 7-8 cm long and have 5-6 years.

The Striped mud turtle inhabits stagnant and slow-flowing waters of all kinds, including temporary. If such a pond dries up, animals change habitat. Migrations of up to 3,5 km. They also look for the preferred places for laying eggs.. Thus, the Striped mud turtle, is unfortunately a frequent victim in road traffic.

These little turtles are omnivorous by nature and feed on palm seeds, algae, insects, snails and the like. For its part, They are common prey for alligators and birds of prey such as the snail kite.. The small hatchlings and eggs are eaten by a large number of animals, which the turtles compensate with a very high reproductive rate.

A female can produce up to six (normally: three) broods per year with 1-6 (normally: 2-3) eggs each. The eggs are huge compared to the mother, one wonders how they fit in little mama. Eggs need between 80 and 145 days to mature, and only grow at temperatures between 28 y 30ºC. If the temperature drops to 22.5-24°C, the embryo pauses in its development. The pups measure between 2 and 2,5 cm in length and weigh between 2,1 and 3,9 g..

The minimum size of the aquaterrarium for the care of a single animal is three times the length of the carapace as the length of the tank, one and a half times the length of the shell as the width of the tank and two times the height of the shell as the water level. For a single animal this means (with a maximum carapace length of 12 cm.) a background surface of 36 x 18 cm with a water level of about 10-12 cm.. But, you will hardly be able to keep a turtle in such a small aquarium. But, a standard aquarium of 60 cm is absolutely sufficient to create a well-structured living environment for the little turtle. The following principles are very important: The Striped mud turtle climb and run instead of swimming. So, the water surface must always be easily accessible and the water level must not exceed 20 cm..

Waterproof roots and round stones are suitable for furnishings. The substrate should consist of a layer of fine sand of about 5 height cm, since animals like to dig. Many specimens only come out of the water to lay their eggs.. But, this varies greatly from one individual to another and, therefore, must be tested: add a piece of floating decorative cork to the tank. If you visit this part of land, a fixed part of earth must be installed, which may consist of a plastic bowl suspended and filled with sand, for example.

On the ground part can be installed a weak focus under which a temperature of 30-35°C is reached. The uv need of these turtles is low; a commercially available fluorescent terrarium tube with a UV component is perfectly suitable. A too bright location of the aquaterrarium should be avoided.

The water temperature should oscillate between 22 and 26°C from February to November, with 14 daylight hours. A hibernation period of about two months with only a few 8 daylight hours (this is much more decisive for the start of hibernation, that is regulated by hormones, than temperature) at 12-15°C is very favorable for keeping turtles healthy for many years and for reproduction.

In principle, It is best to keep all swamp turtles alone. The males are very incompatible with each other and can drive the females crazy by their constant willingness to mate.. Females also prostitute themselves sometimes with violence against each other. But, this varies greatly from individual to individual. You can be very lucky and buy a pair that will get along very well, but unfortunately you can't trust it. Sometimes, the animals only split up after years of peaceful coexistence. This is said to occur even in humans…

In principle, you should have as many tanks as animals you want to have, so you can elegantly avoid all difficulties from the beginning and you can react quickly if necessary.

for breeding, the female is put with the male, which usually bears fruit very quickly. In this way we have a fertilization rate of almost 100%, while annoying females often do not take care of themselves if they are kept together for a long time.

Unlike many other reptiles, females are not at all demanding when it comes to laying eggs. They gladly accept the sand-filled dirt area described above. At worst, they will simply lay the eggs in the water, but don't let it go to that extreme. By the way, females that stand alone also produce eggs (unfertilized, of course). It's like with chickens, they don't need a rooster to produce eggs for breakfast.

The most exciting and beautiful thing is to keep the turtles together with the fish.. First of all, the aquarium becomes more attractive - there are more things in it- and, in the second place, fish realize very quickly when something goes wrong in the water. The right species for the biotope are, for example, the Jordanella floridae (Jordanella floridae), the Least killifish (Heterandria formosa), the Blackbanded sunfish (Enneacathus chaetodon) or the Everglades pygmy sunfish (Elassoma evergladei).

If you are lucky enough to have the Sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna), You will see how these creatures, otherwise delicate, become authentic beauties. For reasons that are still unknown, the Sailfin molly they develop exceptionally well when kept next to turtles. Of course, the selection of fish species is not limited to those mentioned. Only the slow fish that live on the bottom, as the Whiptail catfish (Rineloricaria fallax, etc.), should not live with turtles. As a rule, fish are safe from small shell carriers; at most, weak or sick specimens become their victims, but that doesn't matter.

The Striped mud turtle is more carnivorous than omnivorous. It is advisable to grow duckweed, especially the large species Spirodela polyrhiza, in the tank. Like this, they are simply available as food when turtles feel like vegetarian food. Otherwise, feeding is very easy, because Kinosternon baurii is not demanding. But, food should always be absolutely fresh and of high quality. It doesn't matter if it's industrially produced food for swamp and water turtles or frozen food..

Vitamins and valuable unsaturated fatty acids are destroyed more quickly than many people realize. Here we continue to sin a lot. Always buy food in small containers. Dry food should be consumed at the latest 6 weeks after opening the can, and frozen food after about half a year. Dry food should never be stored in a bright place, warm and humid. They should always be stored in an airtight container, in a dark and cool place.

If properly cared for, these friendly dwarfs hardly cause problems and give years of pleasure to their caregiver.

The price of a "Striped mud turtle" ranges between 130 – 160 EUR.

1. Striped mud turtle (English).
2. Tortue de boue rayée (French).
3. Dreistreifen-Klappschildkröte (German).
4. Tartaruga de lama listrada (Portuguese).
5. "Tortuga de pantano rayada" (español).

The Common musk turtle (Sternotherus odoratus), It has a fairly wide distribution area., extending north into the eastern half of the US. (Illinois, Wisconsin, hasta Maine) and south into southern Canada (Quebec, Ontario) to Florida and west to central Texas.

The carapace of adults is dark brown., dark gray to black and has no markings. It is evenly curved, narrow and elongated. In juveniles a pattern of dark spots is visible. Juveniles also have three characteristic keels, that disappear with age.

The plastron is small and cross-shaped. (bikini shell), and the color can range from light beige to full black. In this species, connective tissue sutures are especially prominent.

The head, legs and other soft tissue are light gray to black, although coloration changes with age. On the sides of the head there are two yellow stripes that vary depending on the specimen., one above and one below the eye from the tip of the nose to the neck (sometimes with a connection behind the eye). These stripes can fade or disappear completely with age.. There is a pair of barbels on the chin, sometimes there may be a second pair.

The Common musk turtle can reach a size of 13,7 cm., but in most cases it only measures between 7,5 and 10 cm., and both sexes are about the same size.

Inhabits all types of fresh water, like lakes, ponds, rivers, swamps and canals, and prefers slow-moving waters with sandy bottoms. The species prefers shallow water areas. Despite its undemanding character, does not tolerate brackish water.

The Common musk turtle belongs to the genus Sternotherus and it looks a lot like Striped mud turtle of the gender Kinosternon at first sight. unlike the turtles Kinosternon, that they can close their abdominal shell with the help of two hinges, the Common musk turtle has a retracted abdominal shell and is not hinged. This makes them more mobile and they compensate for the lack of protection by being more aggressive.. when they are threatened, give off a strong, unpleasant odor, what gives them their name.

The Common musk turtle is active in the morning and at night. Land rides are popular at night. Other species of Sternotherus are more active during the day.

State of conservation ⓘ
Minor Concern ⓘ (UICN)ⓘ

Although the Common musk turtle does not have federal conservation status in the US. and is fairly common throughout most of its range, has decreased markedly in some areas, and appears to be more sensitive than some native species to human degradation of wetlands. It is listed as a threatened species in the state of Iowa.. It is listed as an endangered species in Canada., and is protected by the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA). It is also protected under the Ontario Endangered Species Act.. In this part of its range, only wetlands with minimal human impact have robust populations. The mortality of reproductive females on roads can be one of the problems associated with human development.

Depending on the size or age of the Common musk turtle, the aquarium should measure between 80 x 40 cm. and 100 x 50 cm., more space never hurts. The water level should initially be about 5 cm for small pups, the Common musk turtle adult prefers some 30 cm.. Animals like to run through the sandy substrate, but also climb to the surface of the water in the indoor furniture or swim freely in the water. Consequently, exuberant planting and good structuring with root wood or non-slip stones up to the surface must be carried out. Occasionally, turtles use furniture that protrudes from the water to sunbathe, although much less frequently than, for example, the ornamental turtles. Furniture also creates important hiding and resting places..

Females should be offered a sandy, partially planted area of ​​land for egg laying.

A lamp, for example HQI, should hang above to heat the area to 35-40°C. The species also likes to use the area to rest. This species also likes to use the area for nocturnal terrestrial excursions..

During the period of activity, The water needs to reach a temperature of 22 a 26°C, which is why, depending on ambient temperature, a heating rod must be used. A rest phase in winter of about 3 months at about 10°C is suitable for the species and is necessary to keep it healthy in the long term. This value is only indicative due to the large distribution area. Animals from the north of the distribution area have to enter torpor at a water temperature of 4°C – 5°C, animals in southernmost areas hibernate mostly at 10°C – 15°C.

A sufficiently sized filter ensures clear water and serves the health of the turtles..

In the middle of summer, the Common musk turtle can also be kept in secure outdoor enclosures if provided with gently sloping edges and plenty of greenery. But, in these conditions, animals cannot be observed regularly and, Therefore, are difficult to control.

The Common musk turtle is a solitary animal, so adult males should generally be kept solitary. It is also recommended to keep females individually.. If two or more females are kept together, aggression and stress among lower animals are very likely, Therefore, close observation is necessary. Then, it may be necessary to separate the animals and set up another tank.

To keep the Common musk turtle as appropriate as possible to the species, we recommend the following conditions.

• air temperature: 25° a 26°C
• Minimum size of the terrarium: 200 litres

The Common musk turtle can be kept in a garden pond from May to October. The pond should have a shallow shore and be sunny, as this particular species likes to bask in shallow water. It also, Don't rule out a large, powerful aquarium heater in the event of bad weather and the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius for a long period of time. The enclosure must be relatively high, Since the Common musk turtle it is a very good climber; concrete blocks and palisades can be used for this. It is essential that crystals or the like are not used, since of the turtles they will try to cross the transparent barrier constantly.

The Common musk turtle feeds mainly on animal feed, consisting of dry food for turtles, worms, meat and fish strips. But, fruit and salad should also be offered occasionally.

The breeding season is mainly from April to May and from September to October.. Like this, can be put from 2 to 4 clutches of eggs by season. The stalls are usually 1 to 5 eggs, Although they can reach 10 eggs. under natural conditions, The incubation period lasts between 65 and 86 days, but can also reach 107 days in unfavorable cases.

The Common musk turtle, by breeding in large numbers on US breeding farms., is frequently and cheaply available commercially. This encourages ill-considered impulse purchases, which means that the number of unwanted animals that are given away is very high.

The price of the "Common musk turtle" in the exotic animal trade ranges from 40 – 70 EUR.

1. Common musk turtle, Eastern musk turtle (English).
2. Tortue musquée, tortue musquée commune (French).
3. Gewöhnliche Moschusschildkröte, Moschusschildkröte (German).
4. Tartaruga Almiscarada Comum, Tartaruga do musgo (Portuguese).
5. "Tortuga almizclada", Tortuga almizclera común (español).