Musk Turtles - Mr. T & Odie

Musk Turtles are small turtles with a tall, narrow, and dark carapace, and a pointed snout. Tiny skin tag-like features are found on the chin and neck, called barbels. They have two pale yellow stripes on either side of their face, which will fade with age.

Musk Turtle eggs are not like other turtle eggs which have a leathery shell, because they have a brittle shell like that of a bird egg. Hatchlings are less than 1 inch (3 cm) long; the largest recorded musk turtle had a carapace length of 5.37 inches (13.6 cm).

Being poor swimmers who like to crawl along the bottoms of slow moving or shallow waters with some vegetation. They are rarely seen basking on rocks or logs. They eat a variety of foods including insects, snails, crayfish, worms, tadpoles and aquatic plants. They are mostly crepuscular, which means they are active at dawn and dusk, but some groups may be more nocturnal. If threatened, musk turtles will omit a foul smelling odor from glands under their shell giving them the nickname “stinkpot” turtles.

Mr.T is one of Sarett Nature Center’s eldest turtle ambassadors, aging in at about 35 years old! He was donated in 2013 by someone who was unable to continue caring for him as their beloved pet. Mr.T has a younger roommate, Odie, who has been at Sarett for about 8 years, also donated by someone who owned the animal as a pet and could no longer care for them. As many of the naturalists and volunteers here know, these turtles have an attitude! They will regularly open their mouths wide (like a fake out “I’m gonna bite you”) when taken from their tank for feeding or a program. They enjoy getting live feeder invertebrates, especially night crawlers! Odie is known to walk around the bottom of his feeding bucket holding onto his worm, really savoring it. Sarett Nature Center has a Scientific Collector’s Permit issued by the DNR to allow for collection and possession of these animals for educational purposes.