Reptiles of North Carolina
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NC Biodiversity Project
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Family (Alpha):
ALLIGATORIDAE
ANGUIDAE
ANOLIDAE
CHELONIIDAE
CHELYDRIDAE
COLUBRIDAE
DERMOCHELYIDAE
ELAPIDAE
EMYDIDAE
GEKKONIDAE
KINOSTERNIDAE
MISCELLANEOUS
PHRYNOSOMATIDAE
SCINCIDAE
TEIIDAE
TRIONYCHIDAE
VIPERIDAE
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Kinosternidae Members:
Kinosternon baurii
Kinosternon subrubrum
Kinosternon unidentified species
Sternotherus odoratus
Sternotherus peltifer
NC
Records
Sternotherus peltifer
- Stripe-necked Musk Turtle
No image for this species.
Taxonomy
Class:
Reptilia
Order:
Testudines
Family:
Kinosternidae
Taxonomic Comments:
One of six species in this genus that occur in North American north of Mexico (SSAR, 2016), two of which are found in North Carolina.
Species Comments:
Previously,
Sternotherus peltifer
was considered a subspecies of
S. minor
. Recent molecular work by Scott et al. (2018) elevated
S. m. peltifer
to full species. All of the limited records "
S. minor
" in North Carolina are assignable
S. peltifer
.
Identification
Basis for Records:
A good quality photograph showing the side of the head and neck or the vertebral scutes on the carapace should be sufficient to identify this species. Location at either Hot Springs or the lower Hiwassee River provide important supporting information.
Field Marks:
The Striped-neck Musk Turtle has broad yellow stripes on the sides of its neck (Ernst and Lovich, 2009), which are missing in the nominate subspecies. However, these stripes are less prominent and more irregular than the pair of pale stripes found in the Eastern Musk Turtle.
Morphological Features:
This species has barbels on the chin, similar to those of the Eastern Musk Turtle, but lack the ones on the neck found in that species (Palmer and Braswell, 1995). The vertebral scutes are characteristically overlapping in this species, but are separated in the Eastern Musk Turtle (Ernst and Lovich, 2009).
Technical Reference:
Palmer and Braswell (1995); Ernst and Lovich (2009)
Online Photos:
Google
iNaturalist
GBIF
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution Comments:
Northern populations of this turtle are associated with the Tennessee River and it barely enters North Carolina at the Hiwassee River in Cherokee County and at the French Broad River at Hot Springs, both right on the North Carolina-Tennessee state line.
Distribution Reference:
Palmer and Braswell (1995); NCMNS Herpetology Collection Database (accessed 2023-01)
County Map:
Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Key Habitat Requirements
Habitat:
In North Carolina, Stripe-necked Musk Turtles are highly associated with muddy-bottomed streams, pools, rivers, springs, and swamps in the Hiwassee and French Broad River drainages (Palmer and Braswel, 1995; Beane et al., 2010).
Life History and Autecology
General Ecology
Adverse Environmental Impacts
Status in North Carolina
NHP State Rank:
S1
Global Rank:
G5
Status in North Carolina:
SC
Status Comments:
This species occurs only marginally in North Carolina
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