Common Musk Turtle

The common musk turtle (Sternotherus odoratus), also called the eastern musk turtle or stinkpot, is native to southeastern Canada and the eastern United States, from southern Ontario and Quebec south to Florida and west to central Texas, with an isolated population in Wisconsin. It is a small turtle with a highly domed shell, a long neck, and short legs, and its common name comes from the strong, musky odor it releases from scent glands when threatened or handled. It lives in shallow, heavily vegetated water such as swamps and slow creeks, and feeds on mollusks, aquatic insects, and other small invertebrates as well as some plant material. The IUCN assesses it as Least Concern.