Razor-backed musk turtle

- Sternotherus carinatus

The Razor-backed musk turtle (Sternotherus carinatus) is originally from the southern United States. Its range extends through Alabama waters., Arkansas, Louisanna, Oklahoma, Texas y Florida.

the shell of the Razor-backed musk turtle it is light brown, between beige and olive brown, and has dark spots and line markings on each shield, with individual carapace scutes bordered by a narrow dark stripe. Its name refers to the strongly pronounced central keel, resembling a roof. In the youngest specimens, the keel can be especially pronounced and flatten with age.

The plastron scutes are very poorly developed (somewhat stronger in the female), and the color can vary between yellow and brown.

The soft parts of the species are gray to grey-brown with black flecks., the jaw is decorated with black stripes. There is a pair of barbels on the chin.

Shell, plastron and soft tissues of juveniles light brown with various dot and line patterns. The posterior margin of the carapace is serrated.

The males of the Razor-backed musk turtle grow to 17,5 cm length, Females reach a maximum body length of 13 cm.. This makes it the largest species in the genus. Sternotherus.

The habitat of the Razor-backed musk turtle ranges from large slow-flowing rivers to heavily vegetated swamps and floodplains, preferring soft sandy bottoms. The presence of dead wood, both above water to sunbathe and underwater to retreat, appears to be an important factor determining habitat suitability. (Lindeman 2008).

Like all species of the genus Sternotherus, the Razor-backed musk turtle it is a very aquatic species that rarely comes out of the water to sunbathe. It is very territorial and does not migrate much.. From December to February, animals go into hibernation, looking for hiding places in the substrate and on the banks. The species is active in the early hours of the morning and from afternoon to night. The Razor-backed musk turtle It is almost exclusively carnivorous and feeds on aquatic insects., clams, snails and crayfish. Molluscs increase their proportion in the diet as animals grow.

Breeding season runs mainly from spring to fall. Like this, up to two clutches of eggs may be laid per season. The sets usually contain 2 to 5 eggs. under natural conditions, The incubation period lasts between 100 and 140 days. Like this, the pups of the Razor-backed musk turtle are the latest compared to the different species of Sternotherus.

State of conservation ⓘ
Minor Concern ⓘ (UICN)ⓘ

The Razor-backed musk turtle has been evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (UICN), and their abundant populations result in their inclusion in the category of Least concern.

While populations appear to be stable, potential risks include habitat destruction, contaminated water and dead wood extraction. They are also considered the fifth most vulnerable turtle species in the commercial pet trade..

The pups of Razor-backed musk turtle are caught and sold in the commercial pet trade. These turtles are quite popular, especially in Europe, and it is estimated that around 50 000 individuals were sent to the European Union between 2008 and 2012. But, between 2002 and 2005, only about 900 individuals from the United States, suggesting that its popularity has recently increased.

Theoretically, the final size of a Razor-backed musk turtle You can reach up 17 cm., but in captivity it is usually only of 10 to 15 cm., and females are usually somewhat smaller than males. These turtles need a tank with a rim length of at least 100 cm., a conceivable size would be 100 x 50 x 50 cm.. The aquaterrarium must have an aquatic part and a terrestrial part for the benefit of the animals. The water level must be at least 15 cm and can be up to 30 cm..

Although they are classified as Aquatic Turtle, to the Razor-backed musk turtle offer them some climbing opportunities, which are usually accepted with gratitude by animals.

The illumination with an ultraviolet component it approaches nature and is recommended. Sunbathing, a spotlight should be placed on land for aquatic turtles, under which the temperature can be up to 40 degrees.

The Razor-backed musk turtle it is a rather solitary animal. The ideal is to keep them alone in the aquarium. Males are unfortunately incompatible, a socialization of females CAN work.

The Razor-backed musk turtle prefers a water temperature of between 22 and 28 degrees centigrade with a pH value between 6 and 8. During the winter months the turtle maintains the hibernation. During this time, the water temperature should be reduced to 10 – 15 Celsius degrees.

The "Razor-backed musk turtle" it's easy to feed. They can get used to frozen food, to live food and dry food. In the wild they like to eat snails and mussels which they can easily snap with their strong jaws., also insect larvae and small crustaceans and shrimps are taken with pleasure.

breeding of the Razor-backed musk turtle in the aquarium

The Razor-backed musk turtle has already been successfully bred in aquaterrariums.

This turtle owes its name musk to your musk glands, with whose help it can secrete a strong-smelling secretion to scare away predators. When kept in a aquaterrarium, the use of the glands is very rare, for example, when taken in hand. They are not used to swimming freely in the aquarium.

The price of a "Razor-backed musk turtle" at the exotic animal market, bred in captivity, ranges between 100 – 140 EUR.

1. Razor-backed musk turtle, Keeled Musk Turtle (English).
2. Cinosterne caréné (French).
3. Dach-Moschusschildkröte, Hochrückige Moschusschildkröte (German).
4. Tartaruga almiscarada de dorso de navalha (Portuguese).
5. Tortuga Carenata, Tortuga almizclera aquillada (español).