1'' Stinkpot

[evilxyardxgnome]

Thats a great shot Seth!

 

[_Sushi_]

I figured that the different colors might be, but I wasn't quite sure...

Our little one has yellow. And our big male over the summer had yellow as well.

Nice pic, they're always very shy, aren't they?

They do stink to a certain extent. Sort of like male goats (bucks) Bucks are not nose-friendly during the breeding season. BUT, they still smell "bucky" all year round. And if you want to know what a buck smells like, skip your shower and deodorant for a few days!! *PWEHWWEE!*

My fiance and his family always thought that they were snapping turtles!! Although, with my fiance, if it isn't a mud turtle, or a painted turtle, or (now) a map turtle, it's a snapper.

For about a year after I met him, he was firmly convinced that map turtles were snappers, and musk turtles were snappers (they actually look like it though) I had to show him otherwise. And now he tries to remember the different names of them. ^_^

 

[Vicious_Fish]

My little Stinkpot is very shy but I've had them before that were not. Any sudden movements around my little guy and he frantically swims for his little cave.

Yeah I hate listening to rednecks telling me that box turtles are "Snappers". Just about every turtle to them is a snapper and nothing pisses me off more then them telling me they try to hit turtles on purpose because they though they were snappers. Easy way to tell if it's a snapper: look for a big, long tail I tell them.

 

[loconorc]

What I don't get is WHY they would kill a turtle even if it is a snapper. Whats it gonna do? Chase you down and eat your liver? Ooooh, scary turtle! *rolls eyes* Same with snakes.

I betcha half of them havent even seen a snapper. They assume any turtle is a snapper.

 

[_Sushi_]

With my fiance it was just a sheer lack of the needed knowledge, since I have provided him with the correct names, he no longer assumes any turtle (except a snapper) is a snapper.

He's more afraid of losing fingers or toes than a liver. lol

 

[JEAE21]

Btw they don't musk unless you REALLY piss them off. The two at the nature center are handled regularly for programs, parties, etc and have not musked to my knowledge. Its not a constant stink, its more like a skunk when theyre angry.

hey after I take my mud turtle out of his tank and take him outside to his sunbathing tub for like 10minutes. He starts to get tired of it and tries to escape, and when I apporach the tub to take him back inside he goes in his shell. After putting him back into the tank there is some wierd oily things floating but is that the musk?

 

[JEAE21]

Are you able to build a small, outdoor pond to keep your turtle and bluegill in so you don't have to sacrifice your fish? Yes your turtle will kill your bluegill and he will consume just about everything on the fish but the bones.

Oh, it's fine for me if he eats the fish..
I'm just wondering if it's fine for him, if he eats the fish..
Like the sharp spines...is it gonna hurt my turtle?

And is he gonna spit the bones out?

 

[JEAE21]

We have a little baby right now, he's about as long as my thumbprint. But I've caught 5 inch males this passing summer.

Other names for Stinkpots include:

Stinkpot
Stinking Jim
Musk Turtle
Common Musk Turtle

Here in Michigan we can't PURCHASE or be GIVEN turtles under 4 inches, unless we have a teaching or scientific licence. But we can own them if we don't buy them and someone doesn't give them to us. That leaves Breeding of LARGE (for stinkers) adults, or catching our own.

They are wild and COMMON in the clearwater lake my fiance lives on, so we can get a bunch of them during the summer.

Here's a weird question. Does anybody know why some Musks have yellow stripes, and others have white?

The smell, which gives them their name, is almost like licorice with a hint of roadkill. Quite lovely indeed!! >.< I don't think they put out any substance when they stink, I've never seen any gunk on me from handling them.

They are a shallow water turtle, and are excellent climbers. When they bask, they prefer to be on a shelf that is close to the surface of the water. That way, they never have to really leave the water. But it's best to offer them a place to sit OUT of the water as well.

I don't know if you've seen the neck yet, but it's VERY long, and fully capable of reaching back to nip you if you're holding it, and it's not in the mood (I've never been bitten, but my male stretched his neck all the way back like that)

sorry didn't see your post there..
so you don't see anything after handling? Is he tamed?

 

[_Sushi_]

nope, he was wild-caught, and still didn't like much handling, I just never noticed anything oily or waxy, but I'm sure there must've been, since that smell is harder to wash off than buck scent!!

BTW, it's alright.

I think this summer we're going to pick up another big male. We had to return the last one, because we had to use the tank for something else. We still have the little baby one though, and I'm having my fiance set him up a tank today.