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Encyclopedia / Turtles / Razor-backed musk turtle
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Variations

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Razor-backed musk turtle

Sternotherus carinatus · Razorback musk, Razor-backed musk, Stinkpot razor

Territorial and a fish eater; best alone.

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15 cmAdult size ✓
UnknownTemperature ?
UnknownpH ?
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.

Not recommended
  • Razor-backed musk turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • Razor-backed musk turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • Razor-backed musk turtle should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ?Can live alone
Temperament ?Semi-aggressive
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ✓20–29 years
Size in shops 3–5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Territorial and a fish eater; best alone.

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 status: Oklahoma Species of Greatest Conservation Need; Alabama Moderate Conservation Concern. 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.

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Food

Turtle pellets, snails and worms.

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Male or female

Males have longer, thicker, spine-tipped tails with the vent past the shell rim and rough scale patches on the thighs and hind legs; females have short tails. Males can be slightly larger.

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; nests from about April to June, laying 1-3 clutches a year of 1-7 brittle white eggs that hatch after about 3-4 months (110-120 days), in August-September.

Pairing

Pair in a large tank.

Setup

Large aquarium with a land area.

What starts it

Winter cooling.

Eggs

1-7 eggs per clutch, 1-3 clutches a year; incubation 110-120 days.

Raising the fry

Hatchlings are fully independent: house them in shallow warm water with a basking spot and feed small pellets, worms and daphnia daily.

Common mistakes
  • Undersized tank and weak filtration
  • No UV or basking heat (soft shells, poor growth)
  • Releasing unwanted turtles into the wild
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionSouth-central USA – Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi & Oklahoma
Rivers and lakesRivers of the lower Mississippi valley
HabitatSlow rivers and swamps
Native rangeAbout 500 km across
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The story of the razor-backed musk turtle

A musk turtle of the south-central USA with a steep, roof-shaped shell and a sharp keel along the back. It feeds on the bottom of rivers and swamps but basks far more than other musk turtles, often high on steep branches.

John Edward Gray described the razor-backed musk turtle in 1856. Its sharp-ridged shell gives it its common name. It is common in rivers of the south-central US.

First described by John Edward Gray in 1856.

  • Its shell has a sharp ridge like a roof.
  • It releases a musky smell when threatened.
  • It spends almost all its time in water.

Sources

11 facts checked with sources