Herptiles

Sternotherus odoratus

Eastern Musk Turtle

Sternotherus odoratus (Latreille, 1802)

Basic info

Common names
  • Common Musk
  • Common musk turtle
  • Eastern Musk Turtle
Species nameSternotherus odoratus
Scientific nameSternotherus odoratus (Latreille, 1802)
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Testudines
Kinosternidae
Sternotherus odoratus

Further Reading

Temperatures & Season

Day time temperatures

Background summer22 - 30 °F
Background winter3 - 7 °F
Basking spot35 °F

Season

Winter treatmenthibernation
Photoperiod summer14 hours
Photoperiod winter10 hours

Microhabitats

Microhabitats are specific small habitats that an organism inhabits within its broader environment. These can vary greatly depending on the species and can give us insights into the preferred living conditions of each reptile. Understanding these microhabitats can be key to providing the correct care for these animals in captivity.

  • Fossorial
    Fossorial

Ferguson Zones

Ferguson Zones are a way to classify the amount of UV light that reptiles are exposed to in their natural habitats. These zones help us understand and replicate their natural light conditions in captivity, promoting the health and wellbeing of the reptiles. Below, we detail the specific Ferguson Zones of the Chinese Water Dragon, along with recommendations for replicating these conditions

The Ferguson Zones in which the Eastern Musk Turtle has been placed has been chosen based upon an assessment of its typical basking behaviour and likely microhabitat in the wild.

2
Partial sun or occasional basker
UVI range avarage: 0.7-1, UVI max recorded: 1.1-3
3
Open or partial sun basker
UVI range avarage: 1-2.6, UVI max recorded: 2.9-7.4

Recommended lighting methods in captivity

Shade method

This method provides low-level 'background' UV at levels matching the Ferguson Zone Range, over a large portion of the enclosure. The highlighted area in the table below represents this range for the Eastern Musk Turtle.

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Sunbeam method

This method uses the 'Max UVI Recorded' value as a guide for the upper limit of the UVB gradient in captivity. This maximum should be the highest level which a Eastern Musk Turtle can obtain at its closest approach to its UVB lamp. The highlighted area in the table below represents this range for the Eastern Musk Turtle.

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More in-depth information about Ferguson zones can be found here: https://jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150

Community collected distribution (13006 occurrences)

Biomes

These are the biomes the Eastern Musk Turtle was found in. Click here to learn more about terrestrial ecoregions and biomes.

More species to explore

Loggerhead Musk Turtle

Sternotherus minor (Agassiz, 1857)

Explore Species
Razor-backed Musk Turtle

Sternotherus carinatus (Gray, 1856)

Eastern Mud Turtle

Kinosternon subrubrum (Bonnaterre, 1789)

Explore all species

References

  1. Baines, F.M., Chattell, J., Dale, J., Garrick, D., Gill, I., Goetz, M., Skelton, T. and Swatman, M. 2016. How much UVB does my reptile need? The UV-Tool, a guide to the selection of UV lighting for reptiles and amphibians in captivity. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research. 4, 1 (Jan. 2016), 42–63. DOI:https://doi.org/10.19227/jzar.v4i1.150.
  2. Sternotherus odoratus (Latreille, 1802) in GBIF Secretariat (2021). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org
  3. Latreille, P. A. In: C.N.S. Sonnini de Manoncourt and P.A. Latreille. Histoire Naturelle des Reptiles, avec Figures Déssinnées d’après Nature. Vol. 1.
  4. iNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org
This website is created by Jefrim Keijzer | All species