Variations
1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Loggerhead musk turtle
Bold, biting and a fish eater; keep alone.
This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.
- Loggerhead musk turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
- Loggerhead musk turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
- Loggerhead musk turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Care and water
Behavior
Bold, biting and a fish eater; keep alone. Needs shallow water for basking.
Check your local laws. US federal (FDA): live turtles under 4 in (10.2 cm) shell length and viable turtle eggs may not be sold or commercially distributed (exceptions for science/education/exhibition, non-business sales and export). CITES Appendix II: all Sternotherus musk turtles were listed at CoP19 (November 2022), so international trade needs CITES permits. State rules: Florida and Tennessee do not allow sale of these turtles. Check the rules where you live before you buy one, and never release it into the wild.
Good to know: Needs a basking dock with UV and heat lamp and deep water. Never house with fish.
- wood
Food
Turtle pellets, snails, shrimp and worms.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Male or female
Males have a long, thick tail with a horny spine at the tip, the vent behind the shell rim, rough scale patches on the hind legs, and (when older) a bigger head; females have a short, slim tail.
Health
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Breeding
Egg-layer (buried clutch) · Moderate
Mates in spring underwater; females lay 2-5 clutches a year of 1-5 brittle-shelled eggs in shallow holes beside logs or at the base of trees, and the eggs hatch after 61-119 days depending on temperature. Hatchlings are independent.
Pair in a large tank.
Large aquatic tank with a sloping beach.
Cooling winter then warm summer.
1-5 eggs per clutch, 2-5 clutches a year; incubation 61-119 days (about 100 days typical).
Hatchlings are fully independent: house them in shallow warm water with a basking spot and feed small pellets, worms and daphnia daily.
- Undersized tank and weak filtration
- No UV or basking heat (soft shells, poor growth)
- Releasing unwanted turtles into the wild
Where it lives in the wild
The story of the loggerhead musk turtle
A small musk turtle of Georgia, Alabama and Florida named for its large head; the powerful jaws crush snails and clams. It spends nearly all its time in the water walking along the bottom and rarely basks.
Louis Agassiz described the loggerhead musk turtle in 1857. It lives in clear rivers and springs of the southeastern US. Its large head helps it crush snails.
First described by Louis Agassiz in 1857.
- Its big head helps it crush snails and mussels.
- It releases a musky smell when threatened.
- It spends almost all its time in water.
Sources
11 facts checked with sources
- Scientific name
Reptile (aquatic turtle), not a fish. Author Agassiz, 1857. The former subspecies S. m. peltifer (stripe-necked musk turtle, TN/AL/MS) is now a separate species, S. peltifer (Reptile Database; it follows TTWG). Older state pages (Alabama, Tennessee) still treat it as a subspecies, and animals sold as "loggerhead musk" (striped neck, from north/west of the range) may be S. peltifer. Reptile Database quote is from the fetch tool's reading of the page.
The Reptile Database: Sternotherus minor · Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources: Loggerhead Musk Turtle (government) - Familycorrected
New value.
The Reptile Database: Sternotherus minor - Size
Carapace length (CL). Typical adults 7.5-11.5 cm (ADW); maximum 13.5-14.5 cm. Legacy 14 cm is a large adult female.
Animal Diversity Web (Univ. of Michigan): Sternotherus minor · Turtles of the World (Ernst, Altenburg & Barbour; Naturalis): Sternotherus minor · British Chelonia Group, Testudo 3(3) 1991: Nolan, The maintenance and breeding of the loggerhead musk turtle - Lifespancorrected
Legacy 25-40 years is above every recorded age (captive record 23 y 11 m; wild 21 y). Real lifespan may be longer but no source gives it.
Animal Diversity Web (Univ. of Michigan): Sternotherus minor - Swimming level
Bottom-walking, mostly aquatic turtle.
Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources: Loggerhead Musk Turtle (government) - Where it livescorrected
New value. Turtles of the World, ADW and state pages describe the older broad species including peltifer.
The Reptile Database: Sternotherus minor · Turtles of the World (Ernst, Altenburg & Barbour; Naturalis): Sternotherus minor - Male or female
Legacy agrees.
Turtles of the World (Ernst, Altenburg & Barbour; Naturalis): Sternotherus minor · British Chelonia Group, Testudo 3(3) 1991: Nolan, The maintenance and breeding of the loggerhead musk turtle · Animal Diversity Web (Univ. of Michigan): Sternotherus minor - Breedingcorrected
Legacy "2-5 eggs buried in sand; hatch in 80-100 days": clutch is 1-5, nests are by logs/trees rather than in sand, and the hatch range is wider (61-119 days; captive incubation at 80 °F about 102 days).
Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources: Loggerhead Musk Turtle (government) · Animal Diversity Web (Univ. of Michigan): Sternotherus minor · British Chelonia Group, Testudo 3(3) 1991: Nolan, The maintenance and breeding of the loggerhead musk turtle - Eggs and youngcorrected
Legacy said 2-5 eggs.
Turtles of the World (Ernst, Altenburg & Barbour; Naturalis): Sternotherus minor · Animal Diversity Web (Univ. of Michigan): Sternotherus minor - Story
Legacy ("medium musk turtle with a large head from the southeastern USA; spends most time on the bottom") is supported; it is small rather than medium.
Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources: Loggerhead Musk Turtle (government) - traits.legalcorrected
FDA rule 21 CFR 1240.62: no commercial sale or distribution of live turtles under 4 in (10.2 cm) carapace length or of viable turtle eggs; exceptions for bona fide scientific, educational or exhibition use (not pets), sales not in connection with a business, and export-only shipments. Small adult males of this species can be under 4 in, so they also fall under the rule. The Salmonella hand-washing advice in the legacy text is reasonable but was not checked against a source. CITES: ADW (written c. 2018) says it is not in CITES; that is out of date since CoP19. Florida/Tennessee rule is from ADW and may be dated (Florida also allows personal take of 2 turtles a year per ADW); other states not checked.
eCFR: 21 CFR 1240.62 Turtles intrastate and interstate requirements (FDA) · Earth Negotiations Bulletin (IISD): CITES CoP19 daily report, 23 November 2022 · USARK: 2022 CITES (CoP19 turtle listings summary) · Animal Diversity Web (Univ. of Michigan): Sternotherus minor