Narrow-bridged musk turtle

The narrow-bridged musk turtle (Claudius angustatus) is a species in of turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species is endemic to Central America and Mexico.

Narrow-bridged musk turtle
Claudius angustatus
in an aquarium

Near Threatened  (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Kinosternidae
Subfamily: Staurotypinae
Genus: Claudius
Cope, 1865
Species:
C. angustatus
Binomial name
Claudius angustatus
Cope, 1865[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Claudius angustatus
    Cope, 1865
  • Claudius megalocephalus
    Bocourt, 1868
  • Claudius macrocephalus
    Gray, 1868 (ex errore)
  • Claudius megacephalus
    Boulenger, 1889 (ex errore)
  • Claudias angustatus
    — Velasco, 1892
  • Claudius agassizii
    H.M. Smith & Taylor, 1950
    (nomen nudum)
  • Claudius angustatum
    — Sullivan & Riggs, 1967

Geographic range

C. angustatus is found in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.[1]

Taxonomy

As of 2010, C. angustatus is the only recognized extant species in the genus Claudius.[1]

Description

The narrow-bridged musk turtle is typically brown in color. The scutes of the carapace have lines and graining, imparting an almost wood-like appearance. It often has bright-yellow markings on the edges of the carapace. As it ages, algae often heavily cover the shell, masking the patterning and coloration. The head is large and bulbous for its size, with a sharp beak and a long neck. The carapace is domed, with three distinct ridges down the length. Though classified in the subfamily Staurotypinae with the "giant" musk turtles, the narrow-bridged musk turtle generally only grows to a straight carapace length of about 6.5 in (16.5 cm).

Behavior, habitat, and diet

Like all musk turtles, the narrow-bridged musk turtle is almost entirely aquatic, and prefers habitats such as slow-moving creeks, or shallow ponds that are heavily vegetated. It spends much of its time walking along the bottom, foraging for aquatic insects and other invertebrates, and carrion. It has glands under the rear of the shell from which it can release a foul-smelling musk, hence its common name.

gollark: It'd be cool to have non-cuboidal reactors.
gollark: Try irregularly shaped ones next.
gollark: Well, hotter, but cooler.
gollark: They are cooler.
gollark: This is why we should all use bigger reactors.

References
  1. Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Iverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley (2010-12-14). "Turtles of the world, 2010 update: Annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status" (PDF). Chelonian Research Monographs. 5: 000.98. doi:10.3854/crm.5.000.checklist.v3.2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-15.
  2. Fritz Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World" (PDF). Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 249–250. ISSN 1864-5755. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-17. Retrieved 29 May 2012.

Further reading
  • Boulenger GA (1889). Catalogue of the Chelonians, Rhynchocephalians, and Crocodiles in the British Museum (Natural History). New Edition. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). x + 311 pp. + Plates I-III. (Genus Claudius, p. 32; species C. angustatus, p. 33).
  • Cope ED (1865). "Third contribution to the HERPETOLOGY of Tropical America". Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 17: 185–198. (Claudius angustatus, new species, pp. 187-188).
  • Goin CJ, Goin OB, Zug GR (1978). Introduction to Herpetology, Third Edition. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company. xi + 378 pp. ISBN 0-7167-0020-4. (Genus Claudius, p. 264).
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