Intermediate Musk Turtle (Sternotherus intermedius)
Sternotherus intermedius is a species of small turtle native to Alabama, United States. It is also known as the aliflora musk turtle or intermediate musk turtle due to its intermediate patterns on the shell. For a long time, it was thought to be a hybrid between the two subspecies of the loggerhead musk turtle (the loggerhead and striped-neck musk turtle), but in 2017, it was declared a new species based on DNA research. It is endemic to the Choctawhatchee River and Conecuh River basins.
Description: S. intermedius has a dark spotted head on a light background with some degree of striping on the lateral faces of the neck; a single or paired gular scutes are present; a vertebral keel is present with lateral keels reduced or possibly lacking in some populations.
Habitat: freshwater (swamps, quiet rivers)
Range: The turtle is endemic to the greater Choctawhatchee River and Escambia River basins in southern Alabama and the Florida panhandle.
Found in these States:
AL
Diet: In the wild musk turtles feed on aquatic insects, amphibians such as frogs, crustaceans, worms, mollusks, and even carrion. Juveniles eat small prey such as beetles, millipedes, worms and small snails.
Reproduction: Similar to Sternotherus minor: is oviparous. Between August and June, females can lay up to five clutches with one to four eggs per clutch. Larger females tend to have larger eggs and more eggs per clutch. Females lay their eggs on the shore, in holes 3.1 to 5.9 inches deep. Hatchlings typically have a carapace length of 0.97 inches.
Status: Unknown at this time
»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
»» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
»» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
»» Class: Reptilia - Reptiles
»» Order: Testudines - Turtles & Tortoises
»» Family: Kinosternidae - Mud & Musk Turtles
»» Genus: Sternotherus
»» Species: Sternotherus intermedius - Intermediate Musk Turtle
»» Subspecies: None
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Intermediate Musk Turtle", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.
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