﻿MUSK 
  TURTLE. 
  359 
  

  

  Family 
  KINOSTERNIDAE. 
  

  

  Kinosternon 
  odoratum 
  (Latreille). 
  

  

  Musk 
  Turtle; 
  Stink-pot. 
  

  

  Plate 
  21. 
  

  

  Teshtdo 
  odorata 
  Latreille, 
  Hist. 
  Nat. 
  Reptiles, 
  1802, 
  vol. 
  1, 
  p. 
  122. 
  

   Kinosternon 
  odoratum 
  Gray, 
  Syn. 
  Reptiles, 
  18.31, 
  p. 
  .3.5. 
  

  

  The 
  Musk 
  Turtle, 
  or 
  Stink-pot, 
  is 
  the 
  smallest 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  England 
  Chelonians. 
  

  

  Dimensions. 
  — 
  The 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  carapace 
  generally 
  does 
  not 
  exceed 
  five 
  inches. 
  The 
  

   measurements 
  in 
  inches 
  of 
  a 
  specimen 
  in 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  the 
  Boston 
  Society 
  of 
  Natural 
  History 
  

   are: 
  length 
  (in 
  a 
  straight 
  hne), 
  41 
  inches; 
  length 
  along 
  curve 
  of 
  carapace, 
  5^; 
  width 
  (in 
  a 
  

   straight 
  line), 
  3|; 
  width 
  along 
  curve 
  of 
  carapace, 
  4f; 
  height, 
  If; 
  sternal 
  length, 
  3; 
  sternal 
  

   width, 
  2; 
  width 
  of 
  head, 
  In. 
  

  

  Color. 
  — 
  The 
  carapace 
  varies 
  from 
  Ught 
  to 
  dark 
  brown, 
  with 
  or 
  without 
  spots, 
  and 
  is 
  often 
  

   covered 
  with 
  green 
  Confervae 
  and 
  numerous 
  small 
  leeches. 
  The 
  plastron 
  is 
  yellowish 
  brown. 
  

   The 
  head 
  and 
  soft 
  parts 
  are 
  a 
  dull 
  mottled 
  black. 
  There 
  are 
  two 
  narrow 
  yellow 
  stripes 
  on 
  each 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  beginning 
  at 
  the 
  nostrils 
  and 
  extending, 
  one 
  OA'er 
  and 
  one 
  under 
  the 
  eye, 
  to 
  

   the 
  neck. 
  In 
  yoimg 
  animals, 
  the 
  shields 
  sometimes 
  have 
  narrow 
  black 
  margins. 
  

  

  Description. 
  — 
  The 
  body 
  is 
  long 
  and 
  narrow. 
  The 
  carapace 
  in 
  adults 
  is 
  smooth 
  and 
  highly 
  

   arched. 
  The 
  plastron 
  is 
  small, 
  narrow, 
  and 
  roughly 
  cross-shaped, 
  with 
  lobes 
  very 
  feebly 
  

   movable. 
  The 
  highest 
  point 
  of 
  the 
  carapace 
  Hes 
  in 
  the 
  posterior 
  half. 
  The 
  twenty-three 
  

   marginal 
  shields 
  are 
  only 
  sUghtly 
  serrated. 
  The 
  head 
  is 
  proportionately 
  large. 
  It 
  is 
  "long 
  

   from 
  the 
  orbits 
  of 
  the 
  eye 
  backward, 
  and 
  short 
  from 
  thence, 
  forward; 
  it 
  is 
  pointed 
  in 
  front." 
  

   The 
  alveolar 
  edges 
  of 
  both 
  upper 
  and 
  lower 
  jaws 
  are 
  sharp 
  and 
  well 
  fitted 
  for 
  cutting. 
  The 
  

   neck 
  is 
  long 
  and 
  slender. 
  The 
  feet 
  are 
  short 
  and 
  the 
  toes 
  webbed. 
  Internal 
  characteristics 
  

   are: 
  the 
  separation 
  of 
  the 
  pubic 
  and 
  ischiadic 
  symphyses, 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  an 
  ento-plastral 
  

   plate, 
  the 
  possession 
  of 
  inframarginal 
  shields, 
  the 
  widely 
  open 
  temporal 
  fossae, 
  and 
  the 
  rib-Uke 
  

   pair 
  of 
  processes 
  to 
  the 
  nuchal 
  plate. 
  The 
  sexes 
  are 
  not 
  aUke. 
  "The 
  difference 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  

   the 
  shield 
  consists 
  in 
  the 
  greater 
  \vidth 
  of 
  its 
  front 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  female. 
  The 
  tail 
  of 
  the 
  male 
  is 
  

   much 
  longer 
  and 
  stronger 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  female. 
  There 
  is, 
  in 
  the 
  male, 
  a 
  patch 
  of 
  rough 
  

   scales 
  in 
  the 
  bend 
  between 
  the 
  thigh 
  and 
  the 
  leg." 
  In 
  young 
  specimens 
  the 
  carapace 
  is 
  strongly 
  

   keeled. 
  Young 
  animals 
  mature 
  rapidly 
  in 
  form, 
  attaimng 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  the 
  adult 
  during 
  the 
  

   first 
  year. 
  A 
  pair 
  of 
  inguinal 
  glands 
  secretes 
  a 
  disagreeable 
  and 
  penetrating 
  odor 
  of 
  musk 
  

   from 
  which 
  it 
  derives 
  its 
  name. 
  

  

  