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Some federal rules apply

Common musk turtle (stinkpot)

Sternotherus odoratus

Also known as Stinkpot, Common Musk Turtle, Eastern Musk Turtle, Stinkpot Turtle

Reptiles › Turtles and tortoises (Testudines) › Kinosternidae (Mud and musk turtles)

Sternotherus odoratus is a species of small turtle in the family Kinosternidae.

Pet trade

Experience: Easy

FamilyMud and musk turtles

Record lifespan54.9 years

Adult weight4.9 oz

Kept byPet trade

Care at a glance

Species-specific values

Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.

Water temperature	72–78 °F	245
Basking zone temperature	90 °F Approximate target; measurement type unspecified.	245
Adult carapace length	up to 4.5 in Source reports maximum 4–4.5 in.	245
Social needs	Single housing is acceptable; separate males and any persistently harassed animal.	245
Diet	Varied aquatic invertebrates and suitable complete turtle pellets; small amounts of plant food may be eaten.	245

Care guide

Group care guide

Musk and mud turtles

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Slow, shallow waters. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Housing & setup

Shallower water with easy access to the surface; many are weak swimmers.
A small basking area and UVB; filtration.

Sources 113 114

Climate & lighting

Basking spot	85–90°F
Water	72–78°F

UVB: Recommended.

Sources 113 114

Diet

Mostly carnivorous, with some plant matter: pellets, worms, snails, fish and aquatic plants.

Sources 113 114

Health watch

Can bite; giant musk turtles have powerful jaws.

Sources 113 114

Understanding the animal

About this animal

The species is native to southeastern Canada and much of the Eastern United States. It is also known commonly as the common musk turtle, eastern musk turtle, or stinkpot turtle due to its ability to release a foul musky odor from scent glands on the edge of its shell, possibly to deter predation.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Sternotherus odoratus” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

In the wild

Researched for this exact species, not its family. Good care copies these conditions.¹²³⁴

Where it lives	Vegetated ponds, lakes, swamps and slow stream margins in eastern and central North America. Usually occupies shallow water, foraging along the bottom under cover.
Ground it lives on	Aquatic bottom sediment; occasionally banks and terrestrial nest sites.
Water it lives in	Freshwater in still or slow-flowing habitats, usually shallow; clarity, chemistry and typical wild temperature ranges were not established.
Climate	Seasonal cooling brings dormancy in cooler regions; southern animals may forage at warmer nights. Numerical wild temperature and humidity ranges were not established.
Active	Crepuscular, often nocturnal farther south; winter brumation.
Social life	No defended territories are known; stable wild social groups were not established.
Wild diet	Aquatic insects, mollusks, crayfish, worms and carrion, plus algae, water-lily material and seeds.
Behavior to plan for	Walks along the bottom and climbs structures; sometimes basks above water. Releases strong-smelling musk defensively.

What this means for care

Provide submerged supports and easy routes to air.
Include shaded bottom cover.
Offer varied aquatic invertebrates rather than only fish.

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 90°F (up to 94°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 30°F (down to 23°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	54–68°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	67–71% on average (driest month about 62%)
Rainfall	about 1159 mm a year, spread fairly evenly
Winters	Cool to cold winters (lows around 30°F) in much of its native range. Seasonal slowdown may be relevant, but species-specific biology determines whether brumation or hibernation occurs.

Measured at 100 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.

Profile

Researched for this exact species. Sources are listed under In the wild above.

History

Sternotherus odoratus was first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1801 from material collected near Charleston, South Carolina. The Reptile Database likewise restricts the type locality to the vicinity of Charleston.

Behaviors reported

They can release a foul musky odor when stressed or attacked.
Females may leave the water when laying eggs.

Unique adaptations

Scent glands along the shell can produce foul-smelling musk that may deter predators.
The carapace has a prominent vertebral keel in hatchlings and juveniles that tends to flatten as the turtle matures.

Remarkable facts

The common musk turtle is a small member of the family Kinosternidae and is also called the stinkpot.
Reptiles Magazine describes a blackish-brown, highly domed carapace, a reduced plastron, and usually two parallel yellow stripes running from the nose toward the neck; the stripes may fade in older animals.
The Reptile Database lists the species from southern Canada through a broad portion of the eastern and central United States and also Chihuahua, Mexico.
The Reptile Database states that the species is oviparous, laying 3-8 eggs, and exhibits temperature-dependent sex determination.
The Reptile Database reports introduced populations in California and Germany.

From the sources

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	Sternotherus odoratus is a species of small turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species is native to southeastern Canada and much of the Eastern United States. It is also known commonly as the common musk turtle, eastern musk turtle, or stinkpot turtle due to its ability to release a foul musky odor from scent glands on the edge of its shell, possibly to deter predation. This turtle is grouped in the same family as mud turtles. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	Stinkpots seldom stray far from water, except for females when they are laying eggs. — Animal Diversity Web
Wild diet	Sternotherus odoratus are omnivorous. The most common prey in the diet are mollusks (gastropods and bivalves), insects (including larva, adults, aquatic and terrestrial), and crustaceans (amphipods, isopods, and crayfish). — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Behavior	The eastern musk turtle is mostly aquatic, spending the vast majority of its time in shallow, heavily vegetated waters of slow moving creeks, or in ponds. It typically only ventures onto land when the female lays eggs, to bask, or in some cases forage. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Reproduction	Exhibits temperature‐dependent sex determination (TSD) fide Cornejo-Páramo et al. 2020 (and references therein). — The Reptile Database
Lifespan	On average, stinkpots live to be 15 to 19 years old. — Animal Diversity Web
Appearance and size	Stinkpots have brown carapaces with small, yellow plastrons. — Animal Diversity Web
History and naming	Named after Latin odor = smell. — The Reptile Database

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Maximum recorded lifespan

Highest reported54.9years

AnAge 16254.8

Myhrvold et al. 16354.9

Longest recorded lifespan reported by each database; typical lifespans are usually shorter. The AnAge record comes from an animal in human care.

Typical adult weight

Average of sources4.9oz

AnAge 1624.9

Myhrvold et al. 1634.9

Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).

Clutch size

Reported3eggs

Myhrvold et al. 1633

Average per litter or clutch.

Incubation

Reported62days

Myhrvold et al. 16362

Female maturity

Average of sources4.3years

AnAge 1623.5

Myhrvold et al. 1635.2

Basking spot

Reported90°F

Reptiles Magazine 16890

Species-specific values from keeper care sheets. Basking figures are often surface readings taken with an infrared thermometer, which run hotter than air.

Care articles for this species

Common Musk Turtle Care Sheet (Reptiles Magazine)
Common Musk Turtle Care And Information (Reptiles Magazine)

Written by keepers, breeders and vets 168 169

Veterinary & husbandry research

Seasonal cycles in gonadal activity and plasma gonadotropin in the musk turtle, Sternotherus odoratus Mendonca MT et al., General and comparative endocrinology 1986
Role of Trachemys scripta elegans in polystome (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea, Polystomatidae) spillover and spillback following the trade of freshwater turtles in southern Europe and North America Verneau O et al., Parasite (Paris, France) 2025
Retrospective Analysis of Hatchling Success From Chelonian Eggs at a North Carolina Wildlife Clinic 2010 to 2023 Diehl CC et al., Zoo biology 2026

Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170

Federal legal snapshot

Some federal rules apply

CITES Appendix II. Appendix II: international trade needs CITES export permits. CITES doesn't restrict buying a captive-bred animal within the U.S.; keep your purchase records. 173 186
FDA small turtle rule. Turtles and tortoises with a shell under 4 inches long may not be sold or distributed as pets in the U.S. (Salmonella rule). Hatchlings can be sold only for bona fide scientific, educational or exhibition purposes. 182

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Not covered by the Animal Welfare Act

The Act only covers warm-blooded animals. Reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates have no federal care standards, even at licensed facilities; state and local rules may still apply.

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Included in our hand-checked list of animals kept as pets, livestock or in zoos
AnAge has a longevity record from an animal in captivity
Reviewed by Clint's Reptiles
240 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Clint's Reptiles review

Clint Laidlaw reviews this animal in his "The Best Pet?" series: Mud, Musk, and Stinkpot Turtles, The Best Pet Turtles?. He scores handleability, care, hardiness, availability and upfront cost, and explains the reasons behind each score.

Watch Clint's review →

Sources for this sheet

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources) Peer-reviewed researchCurated, referenced longevity and life-history records for thousands of species; maximum lifespans are often from zoo animals.
Myhrvold et al. (2015). An amniote life-history database. Ecology 96: 3109 Peer-reviewed researchPeer-reviewed compilation of life-history data for over 21,000 birds, mammals and reptiles.
Reptiles Magazine (care articles) Experienced keeper or breederEstablished reptile and amphibian hobby magazine; care articles are written by breeders, keepers and veterinarians.
Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat) Zoo, university or veterinaryThe official database of species listed under CITES.
USFWS International Affairs: CITES Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal agency that issues CITES permits.
21 CFR 1240.62: Turtles under 4 inches (FDA) Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal ban on selling small turtles.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Management and husbandry of reptiles Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional, metabolic and endocrine diseases of reptiles Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Clint's Reptiles (YouTube): Mud, Musk, and Stinkpot Turtles, The Best Pet Turtles? Expert educator & keeperClint Laidlaw, PhD in Biology Education and MS in Evolutionary Ecology; owner of Clint's Reptile Room and a longtime keeper. His "Best Pet?" series reviews each species' care in depth.
The Reptile Database Peer-reviewed researchScientist-curated catalog of every reptile species, with taxonomy and literature.
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.