Knife-backed Musk Turtle Turtle
Chinese name: Razor-backed Musk Turtle
Latin name: Sternotherus carinatus
English name: Razor-backed Musk Turtle
Family Genus classification: Crestozoa, Chelonidae, Chelyonidae
Origin: Southern Mississippi to Texas.
Rest situations: swamps, or streams and rivers with slow flow, soft bottom and lush aquatic vegetation.
Body length: 10--14.9 cm
The carapace of the knife-backed musk turtle has obvious ridges, forming a steep slope. The scutes are light brown to light orange, with small dark dots or radial stripes on the back, and dark edges. These patterns may fade in older turtles. The plastron is yellow and the throat shield is missing, so there are only 10 scutes. There is a single slightly shaped hinge joint on the thoracic and ventral shields. The nose projects slightly like a tube. There are tentacles on the chin.
Unlike other musk turtles, this species is very shy. They rarely bite people or emit a foul odor. They move between March and October and often bask on their backs.
The Sword-backed Musk Turtle is native to southern Mississippi to Texas. The so-called musk should originally be a peculiar smell released to protect oneself and shock the enemy. Unlike other musk turtles, knife-backed musk turtles are particularly shy. They rarely bite people or emit a foul odor. Sword-backed musk turtles move between March and October and often bask on their backs. In some good resting places, the colony density can reach more than 100 individuals in one acre. On these occasions, fishermen may catch more turtles than fish when baiting. The knife-backed musk turtle has strong adaptability and is easy to raise with humans.
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