The musk turtle, an omnivorous animal, inhabits large springs, brooks, rivers, cow hitch lakes, swamps, and ponds formed by limestone pits. It is mainly distributed in the central part of Georgia, central Florida, east to the easternmost part of Mississippi, and to the easternmost part of Louisiana. It extends northwards through the entire eastern part of Tennessee. When the musk turtle is young, the shell is dark black and rough, but it becomes smooth and the color fades to brown to black as it grows older. There are two white lines that extend from the snout to the neck, making it easy to distinguish as one of the smallest species of turtles in the United States.
Originally from southern Canada, the northeastern to southeastern United States. Now distributed in the central part of Georgia and the southeastern part of Alabama, all the way to the central part of Florida. The striped-neck subspecies (striped-neck musk turtle, S.m.peltifer) has a dorsal ridge and stripes on the neck; it is distributed in the southwest of Virginia and the eastern part of Tennessee, south to the Gulf of Mexico and the Pearl River in Mississippi, as well as Louisiana.
Suggested for the reptile-loving crowd, you can pick up large rocks by the roadside to feed them. 2. The musk turtle can of course soak in the water all the time, but it is better to use tap water that has been sun-dried for a day to avoid rotting the turtle's skin. 3. A regular rectangular fish tank is fine. The water depth should allow the turtle's head to extend above the water surface for breathing. 4. The water temperature can range from 20 to 28 degrees. The temperature difference should not be too large. 5. Turtles have difficulty digesting salt. It is acceptable to add a small amount of sterilizer in proportion to the water. No other additives are needed. 6. The water level for tropical fish should not be too shallow. The musk turtle's water should not be too deep. Unless you have the conditions and a large enough tank, you can put a sun deck and driftwood for the turtle to breathe on the shore.
1 Must ensure the relative cleanliness of the water for breeding, add some clean water to the breeding tank every day, remove some dirty water, and add a little iodine-free salt to the water. Do not feed directly with tap water, as fresh tap water can easily cause rotten skin and rotten claws. Dispose of the remaining residue and dirt after the turtle finishes eating.
2 In winter, do not always take out the heated breeding spot from the surface of the water to check or play with it. The extreme temperature difference can easily cause colds and respiratory diseases (this mainly applies to young turtles). Once the disease occurs, it will be too late to regret it. Better to be safe than sorry!
3 Do not keep turtles together in groups. The high density of breeding can easily cause friction and collision of the shells, which can lead to shell decay.
4 If the turtle has rotten skin, rotten claws, or white eye disease, turtle care liquid can be used. There is a product called Hudai aquarium-produced turtle protection treasure on the market, which has a good effect after use.
5 If water mold occurs, in addition to maintaining the cleanliness of the water, medication in the water, increasing light or using a heating rod to moderately heat the water temperature can also have a sterilizing and therapeutic effect.
Feeding Tips
The musk turtle is a typical omnivorous animal that eats everything from plants, shellfish, small fish, insects, to even animal remains. However, their foraging mainly takes place on the muddy bottom of the water because they rarely leave the water surface. The name "musk turtle" comes from a common characteristic of this type of turtle. When they are disturbed, they release a pungent liquid from their musk glands to deter potential predators. Additionally, male turtles are especially aggressive, so caution should be taken when keeping them to avoid getting bitten. Another characteristic of musk turtles is that they are nocturnal. They mostly burrow in the mud during the day and become active only at dusk. They usually do not swim but walk underwater for extended periods of time. As a result, algae often grow on their shells, and when the temperature drops below 10°C, they hibernate in the muddy bottom of the water.
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