Loggerhead musk turtle

Description

The loggerhead musk turtle (Sternotherus minor) is a species of turtle in the family Kinosternidae. This turtle has a large head which has a light colored background with dark spots or stripes present on the head and neck. The average size of a loggerhead musk turtle is about 3 to 5 inches in carapace length. There are two subspecies of Sternotherus minor: Sternotherus minor minor (loggerhead musk turtle) and Sternotherus minor peltifer (stripe-necked musk turtle). Sternotherus minor is found in freshwaters throughout the southeast in states such as Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Virginia. Distribution may vary depending on the subspecies. S. m. minor is generally found throughout Georgia and north Florida and can be found in rivers such as the Ogeechee, Altamaha, and Apalachicola. The S. m. peltifer is generally found throughout Alabama, east Mississippi, and east Tennessee and can be found in rivers such as the Tennessee and Pearl. They share parts of their range in west Georgia, southeast Alabama, and west Florida and can both be found in rivers such as the Choctawhatchee and Perdido. S. minor lives in clean freshwater habitats such as springs, streams, runs, wetlands, ponds, and rivers. The diet of the loggerhead musk turtle changes as it grows. Younger turtles have a more varied diet, eating insects, snails, crayfish, and clams while adults eat mostly snails and clams since adults are larger. Loggerhead musk turtles forage in streams with sandy or vegetated bottoms with varying speeds of currents. They spend most of their time in the water with less time spent basking out in the sun as is observed in other species. The IUCN has listed the Loggerhead musk turtle as an animal of least concern. Some common threats to this turtle include habitat loss, negative interactions with humans, such as being killed by cars or boats or dying after biting fish hooks, and indirect threats such as threats to their food sources. While this turtle is vulnerable to habitat loss, many waterways within its range are protected by Florida state law. Also, three states within its range (Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee) list it as a protected species.