122 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 



town (TZS 1826-7. 1888-9); 2 mi. S of Rushtown (TZS 2149). Shelby County: 

 Tawawa Creek, near Sidney (OSM 321). TusCARAWAS County : Zoar (OSM 445). 

 Wood County: Perrysburg. 



Habitat and Habits. — Judging from the comparatively few specimens col- 

 lected on field trips it cannot be said that the musk turtle is generally abun- 

 dant in Ohio. During the course of the survey not more than two ever were 

 obtained in the same locality on the same day. Thomas and Trautman 

 (1937), however, report the finding of a considerable number at Buckeye 

 Lake (see p. 123), and it is known that musk turtles are common in some of 

 the small lakes in southern Michigan not many miles north of the Ohio 

 boundary. 



The general absence of lakes and ponds throughout the greater part of 

 Ohio influences the distribution of the musk turtle, probably to a considerable 

 extent. It is difficult, however, to judge the relative abundance of any aquatic 

 turtle, especially when the difficulties of collecting and the possibilities of over- 

 looking specimens in deep or turbid waters are considered. Hence the musk 

 turtle may be much more generally common than the field work indicated. 



Individuals are decidedly aquatic. They seem to prefer quiet water and 

 none were taken in fast moving streams. They were found in lakes and ponds, 

 sluggish streams and in abandoned canals or ditches, the latter either clear 

 or choked with aquatic vegetation. Most were collected on the bottom in 

 shallow water, but, that they frequent greater depths was indicated by the fact 

 that several surprised near shore did not hesitate to swim into deeper water. 

 In addition specimens took the hooks of fishermen at a depth of several feet. 



Only a few musk turtles were found out of water. One was discovered 

 on a muddy bank secreted beneath a discarded piece of wallboard and two 

 others were sunning at the edge of a pond. A few taken in the abandoned 

 Ohio and Erie Canal in Scioto County were resting at the edges in a mass 

 of vegetation in such a manner that only the centers of their carapaces were 

 above water. 



The normal gait in water is slow and specimens were seen walking about 

 leisurely on the bottom. When alarmed, however, they swam with a fair 

 amount of speed. Occasionally they were found buried in the mud under 

 water, which latter measured a few inches to a foot or more in depth. 



Musk turtles are usually bad tempered. They normally try to bite when 

 handled, even after they have been in captivity for some time, but occasional 

 ones become fairly tame. Care must be taken in holding a specimen lest the 

 long and supple neck allow the sharp mandibles to come in contact with the 

 hand. Wounds inflicted by them usually are superficial, however. 



The name of this turtle is derived from the musky odor which is in evi- 

 dence when a specimen is captured or teased. The odor arises from an orange 

 or yellow fluid secreted by two glands lying beneath the border of the cara- 

 pace on either side. One is located at the posterior end of the bridge, and 

 the other about midway between the bridge and the anterior edge of the cara- 

 pace. The locations may be recognized by the openings of the ducts leading 



