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Sternotherus odoratus
in Connecticut and Beyond

Common Names: musk turtle common musk turtle eastern musk turtle stinkpot skillpot stinking jim stink jim bottom crawler stinkin' jenny

Species Description

Size

The carapace in adults is usually from 2 inches (5.1 cm) to 4.5 inches (11.5 cm) long, but the highest recorded size is 5 3/8 inches (13.7 cm). The young have a carapace length from 7/8 to 1 inch (2.2-2.5 cm).

Shape

The high-domed carapace is smooth and oval, and has a narrower and elongated outline toward the front. The middorsal scutes are much smaller than the larger ones on the sides. There are usually 23 small, wide, marginal scutes, and a distinctive plastron with 11 scutes and a single hinge towards the front. These scutes are widely spaced, exposing soft, white areas between them. Males have large amounts of skin showing between the plastral scutes, but females have almost none. The pectoral scutes are usually squarish. The neck is quite long, and relative to shell size, the head of the male is larger than that of the female. Both sexes have barbels on the chin and the underside of the neck. The male's tail is stout and relatively long, ending in a blunt spine. The tail of the female is shorter and usually lacks the spine. The legs are relatively long, and the rear legs of males have patches of tilted scales on the inner surfaces.

Color

Old adults have a carapace that is an olive-black (or sometimes olive) black- stippled, to solid black, and smooth. It is often caked with mud and algae. The small plastron is a medium brown color, and offers little protection to the legs. On the head and limbs, the skin is dark, and there are 2 prominent yellow lines on each side of the head. One line is above the eye, while the other is below it, and they both run from the pointy snout back onto the neck. The legs and tail are a dark olive color. The carapace of the hatchlings is usually black and rough, with a strong medial keel and a weak dorsolateral keel on each side. These keels disappear with age.

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