Here’s a quick list of all the foods that you can give your Common Musk turtle:
- Aquatic snails
- Black Soldier Fly larvae
- Bloodworms
- Canned snails
- Cockles
- Collard greens
What other turtles can live with musk turtles?
Turtles of the same species generally live peacefully together as long as they are all adults or all juveniles. Freshwater turtles such as map turtles, musk and mud turtles, painted turtles, cooters, and sliders can all live together.
What foods do turtles like to eat?
Foods that you should be giving to your turtle:
- Fresh, raw foods: These are great for your turtle because they will be healthier. ...
- Freeze-dried foods: Freeze-dried foods are perfect for turtles because they don’t get sick as easily as most other types of food.
- Dry food: This food is also great for turtles because it doesn’t cause them to get sick as quickly as other types of food.
What are some fruits that turtles can eat?
What Fruit Do Turtles, Tortoises, and Terrapins Like?
- Apple. Apple is an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and dietary fiber. ...
- Banana. Banana is full of potassium, vitamin B6, and folic acid. ...
- Cherry. Cherry is a good source of vitamin A, calcium, iron, manganese, niacin, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin.
- Kiwi. ...
- Orange. ...
- Peach. ...
- Pineapple. ...
- Avocado. ...
- Watermelon. ...
- Strawberries. ...
What can turtles eat besides turtle food?
- Animal meat
- Fish
- Snails
- Frogs
- Newts
- Insects
- Worms
- Snakes
- Bugs
- Vegetation
How often should I feed my musk turtles?
Musk turtles less than 6 months old should be fed twice daily and turtles over 6 months old should be fed once every other day.
What do baby common musk turtles eat?
Young musk and mud turtles will feed on a variety of food. They love guppies and mosquito larvae and will feed on blackworms and small redworms and will soon begin taking a variety of commercial pelleted food. Most remain small, with Common Musk Turtles (Stinkpots) reaching only 4 inches.
How do you take care of a common musk turtle?
7:0911:03Musk Turtle Care Guide (the best beginner turtle?!) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's still important to give them the opportunity. To come out of the water if they choose. So aMoreIt's still important to give them the opportunity. To come out of the water if they choose. So a floating basking dock is always a great thing to have.
What do common musk turtles need?
A good basking spot should be around 80oF and provide sufficient UV. All Turtles require additional UVB lighting. Musk turtles require UVB light in order to synthesise vitamin D. Without vitamin D (in particular D3) musk turtles are not able to metabolise calcium properly causing problems with bone growth.
Do musk turtles eat lettuce?
Avoid feeding your turtles vegetables that contain little to no nutritional value, such as mushrooms, cucumbers, and eggplants. Instead, provide the turtles with fresh, nutritious vegetables, such as kale, collard, mustard greens, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, celery, and watercress.
Can musk turtles eat fish food?
Fish food is safe for turtles to eat, but it should not be part of their main diet. Fish food is not toxic to turtles and you do not have to fear if your turtle does end up eating a few bites worth.
Do musk turtles get lonely?
Musk turtles are just like every other species of animal in the world- they have individual personalities. However, there are common traits that each turtle can be expected to display. Musk turtles generally enjoy being left alone, whether that means they are in the wild or a tank at home.
Do musk turtles need dry land?
Though common musk turtles may not choose to leave the water, a floating dock or other haul-out area should be provided should they want to bask. Although it's nearly entirely aquatic and seldom leaves the water, a basking area should still be provided for a pet common musk turtle.
How deep should the water be for a musk turtle?
Babies should be kept in a smaller aquarium and moved as they grow. Due to them being a ground walker rather than swimmer, provide a shallow water depth of 10-15cm (4-5 inches); increase this depth as they grow.
Do musk turtles need heated water?
Given that musk turtles are so highly aquatic, maintaining water temperature is key to their health. Chilly water is the fastest way to cause sickness in any captive turtle. A submersible heater should maintain water temperatures at 72 to 78 degrees (though some of my colleagues recommend 75 to 84 degrees).
Can musk turtles eat mealworms?
As for treats mine love crickets, river shrimp, aquatic snails, wax worm and mealworms. If they are big enough to tackle it locusts. They get a treat no more than once a week, insted of that days feed.
How long can a musk turtle stay out of water?
Generally speaking, a turtle can go about 8 hours without water in a warm and dry environment.
How much water does a baby musk turtle need?
An aquarium of 80 liters (20 gallons) is enough for one, and to keep two make sure you have an aquarium double that size! When your turtles are small, make sure your water is not too deep. This is because musk turtles are not great swimmers. They tend to sink to the bottom as they do not have an air bladder like fish.
Do musk turtles need a heat lamp?
Although common musk turtles do not always emerge from the water to bask, a basking light is essential for captive turtle health. High-quality UVB bulbs are especially necessary for helping turtles metabolize calcium and to avoid vitamin A and D3 deficiencies.
How long can musk turtles stay out of water?
Generally speaking, a turtle can go about 8 hours without water in a warm and dry environment.
Can musk turtles eat mealworms?
As for treats mine love crickets, river shrimp, aquatic snails, wax worm and mealworms. If they are big enough to tackle it locusts. They get a treat no more than once a week, insted of that days feed.
1. High Protein Content Food
The first thing you need to know about feeding your musk turtles is that they should be fed high protein diets. It means turtles’ diet should contain more than 15% protein. The best sources of proteins are:
2. Fruits And Vegetables
Musk turtles are omnivores. That means that they will eat both fruits and vegetables.
3. Commercial Foods
Some musk turtles like to eat commercial foods. This option is ideal for those who live in areas where it is difficult to find fresh foods.
4. Turtle Food Mixes
Another option for feeding your Musk Turtles is to make your mixture of foods. This way, you can control what goes into the mix and ensure that it contains all the nutrients your turtle needs.
5. Algae
Algae is one of the best sources of nutrients for Musk Turtles. You can also buy algae supplements for your Musk Turtles. Algae is an excellent source of minerals and vitamins.
6. Freshwater
Your musk turtles need clean and fresh water to stay healthy. They may not drink as much as other species, but they still require plenty of water.
What do musk turtles eat?
Common Musk Turtle Diet. A common musk turtle living in a wild habitat eats a variety of insects such as crayfish, snails, earthworms, and mollusks. They also feed on aquatic insects like damselfly nymphs, tadpoles, and dragonfly and fish eggs. Although musk turtles are considered carnivores by nature, however, they may also eat algae.
What are the predators of musk turtles?
They have many predators like raccoons, skunks, large wading birds, large fishes, foxes, American Bullfrog, snapping turtles, and Northern Water Snakes.
What are the characteristics of musk turtles?
Their unique features include a deep brown face with yellow lines and a highly arched carapace that tends to become flat as they age. Male musk turtles have a longer tail than females. They have a pointed nose and a rather large head. They are not the prettiest turtles, but other characteristics make them a good pet.
How long do musk turtles live?
Also known as Sternotherus Odoratus or eastern musk turtles, common musk turtles can live up to 50 years or more. Their unique features include a deep brown face with yellow lines and a highly arched carapace that tends to become flat as they age.
Why is the bottom of a musk turtle called a stinkpot?
It spends most of the time walking on swamps or marshes. It gets its name ‘musk’ or ‘stinkpot’ because it releases an orange colored musk that carries a heavily unpleasant scent that scares away its predators.
How many eggs do musk turtles lay?
Common Musk Turtle Breeding. The females lay 1 to 9 eggs of elliptical shape that have a hard shell. This breeding usually takes place during the spring that may last till fall, but the eggs take about 60 to 80 to hatch.
Where are musk turtles found?
Found in a vast geographical array, common musk turtles are commonly found in the Eastern United States and Eastern North America. Their hatchlings are the smallest turtles in North America.
What do musk turtles eat?
What do must turtles eat? Musk turtles are omnivores and eat both plants (vegetation) and animals (insects, worms) as well as various types of fruit. They will eat just about anything they can get!
What fish are good for turtles?
Fish that are very active and move a lot offer fewer attacking opportunities for your turtle to sink its beak into. Some fish that meet these stringent requirements are: Pictus Catfish.
How big can a musk turtle get?
Musk turtles can get up to 12 inches long! The largest recorded musks turtle was about 19 inches long. But that’s rather uncommon – most stay around nine or ten inches in length which is a good size as most people don’t want super large pet turtles.
How long can a musk turtle stay out of water?
All things considered, if the temperature, climate, humidity, and shade are all right, a musk turtle could stay out of the water for months or years .
Can musk turtles eat fish?
Yes! Certain types of fish can happily cohabitate with your musk turtle. There are some things you should take into account however when choosing which fish you wish to pair inside your turtle’s tank. Although often classified as omnivorous, the musk turtle is more carnivorous and will eat fish with long fins but avoid those with short fins.
Can a turtle eat snails?
Any fish larger than the turtle, be careful the reverse doesn’t happen and the fish eats the turtle tho! Snails can also be added to a turtle tank, as long as they are of the larger variety. Turtles are unlikely to attack and eat snails, although if they get bored they may.
What is a musk turtle?
The Common musk turtle is a small turtle native to North America. It is black, grey, or brown in color and has a long neck and rather short legs. The yellow lines on the neck are a good field marker, and often can be seen from above in swimming turtles. Males can usually be distinguished from females by their significantly longer tails and by ...
What are the threats to musk turtles?
The main threats to Common musk turtles include degradation of wetland habitats and road mortality of breeding females. Egg predation is another major cause of mortality, as with many turtle species. For instance, in one Pennsylvania population, hatching success was only 15 percent, and predators alone destroyed 25 of 32 nests.
How many eggs do musk turtles lay?
2-9 eggs. The breeding season of Common musk turtles occurs in the spring , and females often lay between 2 and 9 elliptical, hard-shelled eggs in a shallow burrow or under shoreline debris. They often share nesting sites and in one case there were 16 nests under a single log.
What is the shape of a turtle's head?
The head of these turtles is vaguely triangular in shape, with a pointed snout and sharp beak, and yellow-green striping from the tip of the nose to the neck. Barbels are present on the chin and the throat. Their tiny tongues are covered in bud-like papillae that allow them to respire underwater. No. Nocturnal.
Where do musk turtles live?
Common musk turtles are found in southern Ontario, southern Quebec, and in the Eastern United States from southern Maine in the north, south through to Florida, and west to central Texas, with a disjunct population located in central Wisconsin. They live in a variety of wetland habitats and littoral zones, particularly shallow watercourses with a slow current and muddy bottom. These include swamps, marshes, ephemeral pools, and large rivers and lakes.
Is the Common Musk Turtle a LC?
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Common musk turtle total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUC N Red List and its numbers today are stable.
What do musk turtles eat?
Being carnivorous, your musk turtle will enjoy items such as earthworms, ghost shrimp, crickets or fish. They will also eat turtle pellets and the occasional bit of greenery.
Why are musk turtles not easy to care for?
One of the main reasons is that they can have a bit of an attitude, which makes handling a bit tricky.
How to keep turtles from basking in tank?
Put their basking spot on the warmer side of the tank tank, and leave the other side open. Your turtle will go back and forth between the two areas. As far as a water heater goes, get one that is designed for this type of tank setup, and make sure that the water does not get above the recommended temperature.
How long do musk turtles live?
The typical common musk turtle lifespan is between 30 and 50 years when given proper care. In some instances these reptiles have surpassed the 50 year mark, but that’s uncommon.
What happens if a musk turtle's shell is soft?
If your musk turtle’s shell looks kind of whitish, and it seems kind of soft, it could have shell rot.
How big is a musk turtle?
The average size of an adult common musk turtle is around three to five inches long . Its small size makes it a good pet choice if you don’t have lots of room for a large enclosure.
What is a common musk turtle?
The common musk turtle is a very popular pet that many herp-lovers have considered at one point or another. They are relatively easy to care for, and quite fun to watch!
How many gallon aquarium for musk turtles?
It is utterly important that the aquarium is to be equipped with a submersible canister water filter. For housing a pair of common musk turtles, a 40-gallon aquarium will work great. Also, a powerful water filter should be utilized based on the aquarium’s size.
Where do musk turtles live?
Common musk turtles are almost completely aquatic, spending a huge amount of their time in slow-moving water, peacefully hidden among heavy vegetation on the shallow bottom of creeks and ponds.
What is the color of a musk turtle?
Common musk turtles are characterized by a carapace colored in blackish-brown, with no markings. The carapace is highly domed, with a vertebral keel. Meanwhile, the plastron is smaller in size. Among common musk turtle hatchlings and juveniles alike, the keel is strongly prominent. However, as these turtles mature, the keel usually flattens.
How many eggs do musk turtles lay?
Common musk turtles are known to breed in the spring. After successfully mating with a male, the female is to lay anything from 2 and up to 9 eggs right under the shoreline debris or in a shallow burrow . The eggs of Sternotherus odoratus are elliptical in shape, and with hard shells.
How high can musk turtles climb?
They do so by using the submerged branches, and tree trunks found underwater, and are capable of climbing as high as 6.6 ft. above the water surface. However, musk turtles are actually poor at swimming. Because of this, they are to walk along the bottom of their aquatic habitats.
What is the family of mud turtles?
Grouped in the same family as mud turtles, Sternotherus odoratus is part of the family Kinosternidae and is a species of a small turtle. Musk turtles are often confused with mud turtles. There are five species/subspecies of musk turtles, and all of them can be found in North America.
What is the habitat of a Sternotherus odoratus turtle?
The preferred type of habitats for these reptiles are aquatic and include the slow-flowing parts of streams, swamps, lakes, marshes, ponds, ephemeral pools, and rivers. As with most turtles, the lifespan of Sternotherus odoratus is quite long.
What do musk turtles eat?
Food and Water. In the wild, the Common Musk Turtle would eat a wide variety of water fish and insects. They are primarily carnivorous, although they do sometimes eat certain algae. In captivity, providing a varied diet will help to ensure that they remain happy and healthy.
What is the common musk turtle?
Similar Species. Back to Top. The Common Musk Turtle, also known as the Eastern Musk Turtle or the Stinkpot, is a popular choice as a pet because of their size and relative ease of care. They are an aquatic turtle that comes from Eastern North America. If they feel threatened, they can release a foul, musky odor, ...
How to care for a stinkpot turtle?
The Stinkpot will need a suitable tank that will allow them to swim with ease. Unlike some aquatic breeds, they do not need deep water or a substrate (like gravel) on the base of the tank. This also makes the tank easier to clean. If you do want a more attractive looking tank, it will be okay to use a medium sized-gravel. The water depth should be shallow so that the turtle can touch the bottom of the tank and still stretch up to reach the surface without always having to paddle.
What is the most popular turtle?
The Common Musk Turtle , due to their small size, is one of the most popular of all the aquatic turtle species. You should not, however, underestimate the amount of care that they require.
How big of a tank do turtles need?
They do not need as big a tank as some of their larger species relatives. Generally, it is still recommended to have a tank designed to hold a minimum of 30 gallons for one turtle as they are an active species.
Why do turtles need a water filter?
A water filter compatible with shallow waters is needed to keep the turtle's habitat clean. Without it, you would have to empty the tank to clean it too regularly.
Do musk turtles need UVB light?
UVB-Lighting is recommended to ensure that your turtle is getting enough crucial Vitamin D3 to help them metabolize calcium properly. Although this is often added to commercially available pellets, if they do not get enough through their diet, the lighting will ensure that they remain in better health. It is worth noting, however, that the Common Musk Turtle is more capable of synthesizing Vitamin D3 than other turtles.
Care Guide
Owning a Common Musk Turtle will require preparation and responsibility on your part. When you own a Common Musk Turtle, please take into account the following factors to make sure your turtle is happy and healthy.
Habitat
Your turtle will need a contained space to live in that meets its habitat needs. Common Musk Turtles will need a tank that can hold both a source of water for them to swim in and dry areas where they can rest.
Heat and Light
All turtles require certain specifications for heat and exposure to light, and the Common Musk Turtle is no exception.
Diet and Feeding
Common Musk Turtles will require a specialized diet to make sure they are properly nourished. In the wild, this species of turtle most often eats the following things:
Lifespan and Health Concerns
Purchasing a Common Musk Turtle is a long-term investment. These pets can live up to 50 years in captivity and sometimes even longer if properly cared for. It is most common for these turtles to live anywhere between 30-50 years.
Behavior
Common Musk Turtles are spirited little creatures. Although they can be fun to watch, they are generally not too friendly towards humans, and you should avoid handling them roughly or excessively, or they may bite you.
How to Keep the Common Musk Turtle Safe
Common Musk Turtles are best kept safe by closely following their habitat and diet needs. If your turtle is well-fed, has all its vitamins, and receives enough sunlight and warm water to swim in, it will be much easier to keep him or her healthy than if you neglect any of these aspects.
About Common Musk Turtles
The common musk turtle, or stinkpot turtle, is a very small semi-aquatic turtle. Common musk turtles are great for beginner turtle keepers because they stay small and do not require as much habitat maintenance as other turtles. They are native to the eastern and mid-United States.
Tank Size For a Musk Turtle
Stinkpot common musk turtles, like other turtles, need 10 gallons of water per 1 inch of their carapace (upper part of the shell). Since they do not get big, they do not need a big tank. A full-grown common musk turtle should have at least a 40-gallon tank (regular, not a breeder).
What Filter do Common Musk Turtles Need?
A powerful filtration system is crucial for any turtle. Turtles are very messy animals and a high-quality filter is required to clean up their waste. There are 4 types of filters that are good for stinkpots; sponge filters, HOB filters, canister filters, and submersible filters.
Lighting
Although stinkpots do not bask as much as other turtles, they still need proper lighting. Musk turtles need a UVB light and a basking light. A 5.0 UVB light is good for musk turtles, but make sure it is not labeled “Desert UVB”.
Heating
Turtles need proper heating since they are cold-blooded. Without a heater, your turtle could get severe diseases such as pneumonia. Stick on heating pads, submersible heaters, and inline heaters work well for common musk turtles. Stick on heating pads do not provide as much heat as the other heaters, so try to avoid them.
Basking area
Even though stinkpots do not bask as much as other turtles, they still need to be provided with a basking platform. There are several types of basking platforms; above tank, floating, and rocks/driftwood. Above tank basking platforms are boxes that go on top of the tank and have a ramp for the turtle to climb up.
Diet
Stinkpots, like other turtles, will eat almost anything. In the wild, about half of their diet is insects. In captivity, foods like aquatic turtle food, earthworms, crickets, and shrimp are good for them. Most common musk turtles do not prefer vegetables, unlike other semi-aquatic turtles.
