The Musk or Mud Turtles 



THE COMMON MUSK TURTLE 

 Aromochelys odoratus, (Latr.) 



The upper shell is rather narrowly oval and arched to a 

 considerable degree. With young specimens it is strongly 

 keeled, but the keel disappears with the adult, or becomes very 

 blunt and obscure. The plastron is very narrow and much 

 shorter than the upper shell. Neither of the lobes are capable 

 of being drawn upward to any extent. With young specimens 

 they are rigid, and the rear portion remains immovable until 

 the reptile is well grown. 



The head is proportionately large, with tapering, conical 

 snout. The feet arc broadly webbed. 



Colouration. — With young specimens the carapace is dull 

 olive or brown, the shields showing narrow, black margins. 

 Old specimens are of a dull, lusterless brown and usually coated 

 with moss. The plastron is dark yellow or brown. 



The head markings are important. On each side of the 

 head are two bright yellow stripes, both extending from the 

 tip of the snout to the neck. One of these stripes passes over 

 the eye; the other extends backward beneath the eye, run- 

 ning parallel with the line of the jaw, thence bending slightly 

 downward behind the angle of the mouth and running to the 

 neck. 



Dimensions. — Length of Carapace 3f inches. 



Width of " 2\ 



Length of Plastron 2} 



Width of Front Lobe at Hinge. . i^ 

 " of Rear " " " .. iji 



Width of Bridge of Plastron 2 



Length of " " " J 



Width of Head J 



Disirihution. —Sonthern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico; 

 westward to Illinois in the North, and to Texas in the southern 

 portion of the range. The species is generally abundant. 



Habits. — Frequenting slow-running streams and muddy 

 rivers, this pugnacious little reptile is in habits, as well as in 

 looks, an understudy of the snapping turtle. When handled 

 it emits a strong, though not highly disagreeable odour, which, 

 contrary to many assertions, is not of so powerful a nature as 

 to resist repeated washings in an effort to remove it. This 



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