Mexican musk turtle
The Mexican musk turtle, also known as the narrow-bridged musk turtle or stinkpot turtle, is a species native to freshwater environments in Central America and Mexico, extending from southern Mexico to Honduras. Characterized by their distinctive brown to yellow-olive carapaces and yellow or white plastrons—often marked with black blotches—these turtles can grow up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) long, making them the largest in the musk turtle family. They are cold-blooded reptiles, adjusting their body temperature to match their surroundings, and are primarily carnivorous, feeding on mollusks, fish, insects, snails, and small amphibians through a unique sucking motion while they eat.
Reproduction likely occurs in water, with females laying between 2 to 10 eggs in each clutch on land, and they may produce multiple clutches in a season. The incubation period for the eggs ranges from 3.5 to 6.5 months, after which the hatchlings are independent and must navigate the world on their own. Although they exhibit defensive behaviors, such as retracting their limbs into their shells when threatened, they face predation from various animals, including foxes and birds of prey. In captivity, Mexican musk turtles can live for up to 25 years.
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Mexican musk turtle
Mexican musk turtles live in Central America and Mexico. They are sometimes called narrow-bridged musk turtles or stinkpot turtles.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Kinosternidae
Genus: Staurotypus
Species: Triporcatus
Mexican musk turtles live in fresh water from southern Mexico to Honduras. Like other turtles, they have hard, protective, outer shells which cover their softer body parts. These shells are made of two main parts. The parts which cover the turtles' backs are called carapaces, while the parts which cover the turtles' bellies are called plastrons. Carapaces and plastrons are joined by a tiny bridge of bones extending upward from the plastrons. Mexican musk turtles have brown to yellow-olive carapaces. Their plastrons are yellow or white and sometimes marked with black blotches. The heads of Mexican musk turtles are black or brown with white or yellow-orange spots. Mexican musk turtles grow to about 15 inches (38 centimeters) long, making them the largest musk turtle species. Like other reptiles, Mexican mud and musk turtles are cold-blooded. This means their body temperatures are the same as the temperatures of their surroundings. Mexican mud and musk turtles breathe through their lungs on land and through their skin underwater.
Mexican musk turtles are mostly carnivorous, living on a diet of mostly meat. When they eat, they suck in a variety of foods including mollusks, fish, insects, snails, and small amphibians like frogs and salamanders. This sucking motion is caused by the turtles opening their mouths and expanding their throats. A rush of water also enters their mouths. They eat the food and push the water back out.
The time of mating for Mexican musk turtles is not known, but they likely mate in water and lay their eggs on land. The females usually lay between 2 and 10 eggs in each clutch, or batch. They may lay more than one clutch during a mating season. After the females have laid their eggs, they have no further relationship with their young. Mexican musk turtles have a 3 1/2 to 6 1/2 month incubation period. The incubation period is the time between the laying and hatching of the eggs. After incubation, the young turtles, or hatchlings, make their way into the water and survive on their own.
Like other turtles, Mexican musk turtles may pull their limbs inside their shells when danger is near. Foxes, birds of prey, raccoons, skunks, snakes, and large frogs prey on these turtles.
The life span of Mexican musk turtles is 25 years in captivity.
Bibliography
"Mexican Giant Musk Turtle." The Dallas World Aquarium, dwazoo.com/animal/mexican-giant-musk-turtle. Accessed 1 May 2024.
"Mexican Giant Musk Turtle." U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, www.fws.gov/species/mexican-giant-musk-turtle-staurotypus-triporcatus. Accessed 1 May 2024.