Description: The razor-backed musk turtle grows to a straight carapace length of about 5.9 inches. It has a brown-colored carapace, with black markings at the edges of each scute. The carapace has a distinct, sharp keel down the center of its length, giving the species its common name. The body is typically grey-brown in color, with black spotting, as is the head, which tends to have a bulbous shape to it. It has a long neck, short legs, and a sharp beak. Males can usually be distinguished from females by their longer tails. The plastron is small, with only one hinge which is located anteriorly. There is no gular scute. Barbels are present on the chin only.

Habitat: Razor-back musk turtles frequent medium to large flowing streams and rivers, and are sometimes found in swamps and lakes. They have been associated with bodies of water that have sandy or rocky substrates with low turbidity. Sites with more deadwood and aquatic vegetation are beneficial for the turtles for basking. Individuals tend to sit high above the water on deadwood while basking.

Range: Razor-back musk turtles (Sternotherus carinatus) have a small geographic range which is limited to the south central United States. They are found in six states: southeastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas, southern Mississippi and Arkansas, nearly the entire state of Louisiana, and a small area of southwestern Alabama. The range does not include coastal wetlands because these turtles primarily use freshwater habitats. Razor-back musk turtles can be found from the Brazos River in Texas to the Pascagoula River in Mississippi. They were also found in the Kiamichi, Mountain Fork, Little, and Red rivers in Oklahoma.

Found in these States: AL | AR | LA | MS | OK | TX

Diet: The diet of S. carinatus consists primarily of aquatic invertebrates, including freshwater clams, crayfish, snails, and various insects. It also feeds on fish and carrion.

Reproduction: Sternotherus carinatus courtship and mating acts appear to be identical to S. odoratus and happen in three phases. The tactile phase is when the male extends his head, approaches another turtle from behind and smells the tail to determine the gender. If the turtle is female, the male moves to her side and he nudges her bridge with his nose. The mounting phase is when the male positions his plastron directly over the female carapace and grasps its margins with all four clawed feet. The male moves the female’s tail to gain access to the cloaca. During coital positioning, the male extends his head and starts rubbing and biting the female’s head. The number of mates an individual has is not known.

Females reach maturity around 4 inch carapace lengths which corresponds to about four to five years of age. Males reach maturity between 3.9 to 4.72 inch carapace lengths which corresponds to about five to six years of age. As they age, the carapacial scutes have dark streaks that fade.

Female razor-back musk turtles have ovulatory-sized follicles in late April to early July and male spermatogenesis occurs from June to August. Courtship and mating occur in the spring and the nesting season is from May to June, but may occur earlier in the southern part of their range. Females can lay two to three clutches per season (one to seven eggs). As mentioned above, the incubation period lasts three to four months followed by hatching during August and September. S. odoratus females are able to store sperm from the previous fall throughout winter, and this also may be true regarding S. carinatus. Hatchlings typically have carapace lengths of 0.9 to 1.25 inches.

Status: Sternotherus carinatus has been evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and their abundant populations result in its listing in the category of Least Concern. While populations appear to be stable, potential risks include habitat destruction, polluted water, and deadwood removal. They are also regarded as fifth most vulnerable species of turtle in commercial pet trade.

Subspecies: None

Taxonomy: