Sternotherus odoratus
(Latreille)

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Eukarya, Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Craniata, Class: Reptilia, Order: Testudines, Gigaorder: Casichelydia, Megaorder: Cryptodira, Family: Kinosternidae, Subfamily: Kinosterninae, Genus: Sternotherus, Species: odoratus

Taxonomic History

Testudo odorata Latreille, in Sonnini and Latreille, Histoire Naturelle des Reptiles, Vol 1, 1802:122.
Type Locality: Charleston, South Carolina. Undesignated.
Sternotherus odoratus: Gray, Ann. Phil., Vol. 10, 1825:211
Sternothaerus odoratus Bell, Zool. Journal, Vol. II(7), 1825:305
Kinosternon odoratum Gray, Syn. Reptiles, 1831:35

This species was first described in 1802 by Pierre-André Latreille, who gave it the name Testudo odorata. He found the first, or type, specimen, in the vicinity of Charleston, South Carolina. However, where the type specimen is currently kept is not known. In 1825, John Edward Gray created the genus Sternotherus, to denote the musk turtles, and gave Sternotherus odoratus its new name. Scientists still cannot agree on the relationship between the mud turtles (Kinosternon) and the musk turtles (Sternotherus). For this reason, Sternotherus odoratus is sometimes called Kinosternon odoratum. Some scientists have referred to Sternotherus odoratus as Sternothaerus odoratus. Bell was the first to start this trend. Common names include musk turtle, common musk turtle, stinkpot, skillpot, stinking jim, bottom crawler, stink jim, stinkin' jenny, and Eastern musk turtle.

This species has also been incorrectly called the following names in various contexts:

Testudo glutinata DAUDIN 1802:194.
Emys odorata SCHWEIGGER 1812:313.
Emys glutinata MERREM 1820:24.
Terrapene boscii MERREM 1820:27.
Terrapene odorata MERREM 1820:27.
Cistuda odorata SAY 1825:206.
Sternotherus odorata GRAY 1825:211. (Combination)
Clemmys glutinata RITGEN 1828:272.
Kinosternum odoratum BONAPARTE 1830:168.
Emys odoratum GRAY 1831a:13.
Kinosternon odoratum GRAY 1831b:35.
Didicla odorata RAFINESQUE 1832:64.
Saurotypus odoratus DUMERIL and BIBRON 1835:358.
Kinosternum guttatum LE CONTE 1854
Aromochelys odoratum GRAY 1855:46.
Testudo glutinosa AGASSIZ 1857:425.
Ozotheca odorata AGASSIZ 1857:425
Ozotheca tristycha AGASSIZ 1857:425
Aromochelys guttata STRAUCH 1862:39.
Aromochelys tristycha STRAUCH 1862:39.
Cinosternum odoratum BOULENGER 1889:37

(Information largely from Babcock 33, Catalogue 287.1-287.4, Conant 41-46, Living Turtles 48, and Schulze, et. al)

nita.madhav@yale.edu

last updated April 27, 2000

Sternotherus odoratus (Latreille)

Taxonomy

Taxonomic History

Sternotherus odoratus
(Latreille)