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Family Kinosternidse. Box or Musk Turtles 



Shell more elongate, rising towards the rear, so that the 

 weight of the animal lies backwards of the center ; plastron 

 somewhat cross-shaped, though not nearly so much as in 

 the snapping turtle ; it consists of eight bones ; the front 

 and sometimes also the rear part is movable. The head is 

 pointed, the jaws strong, the limbs weak. 



These turtles are voracious and good scavengers, and of 

 somewhat nocturnal habits. 



Kinosternon pennsylvanicum (Bosc). 

 Mud Turtle. 



The two lobes of the plastron of nearly equal length, 

 movable so as to shut up against the carapace, though 

 when the animal becomes fat the closing can be done but 

 imperfectly. The carapace of the young is but little 

 keeled. Color of the shell, brown, more or less dull, the 

 edges of the plastron plates lighter in color, the plates 

 much striate along their inner margins. The head is dark- 

 er, with light dots or stripes. Length, four inches. Oc- 

 curs from New York to Florida, but is here quite rare. 

 This is less of a water turtle than the others of the family 

 and frequently burrows in drier ground, where it also 

 hibernates. It is harmless in its habits. 



Aromochelys odoratus (Latr.). 



Musk Turtle. Stink Pot. 



In this species the rear lobe of the plastron is the 

 longer ; the lobes cannot close the shell nearly as much 

 as in the former species. The carapace is much keeled in 

 the young and traces of the keels can be found in the 

 adult ; carapace somewhat pointed in the rear. Head 

 large, jaws strong. Color dusky brown or olive, with small 

 and indistinct spots or markings ; lighter beneath ; neck 

 with two yellow stripes. 



