Razorback Musk Turtle

by Lisa Selvaggio

Published: October 10th, 2016

About Razorback Musk Turtle

Size

Small

Length

Type

Semi-aquatic

Lifespan

20 years

Food

Commercial pelleted diet for turtles, insects, non-toxic aquatic plants, worms, fish

Difficulty Of Care

Low Maintenance

Comparable Breeds

Common Musk Turtle, Loggerhead Musk Turtle

Razorback Musk Turtle General Info

The Razorback Musk Turtle is the biggest type of Musk Turtle. It is a species that is nearly entirely aquatic, but these turtles will come out of the water to bask occasionally. Also, because they even walk along the bottom of their tank, they are a delight to watch.

The Razorback Musk Turtle is the biggest type of Musk Turtle.

Native Habitat

The Razorback Musk Turtle is found in areas throughout the United States. The states where these turtles are found include Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana.

These turtles prefer swamps and slow-moving rivers. They can also be found in streams and in shallow ponds that have a lot of vegetation.

Overall Description

Razorback Musk Turtles feature a bulbous, large head and a long neck. They also have a noticeably sharp beak, along with short legs. And these turtles feature a sharp keel that runs down the center of their shell and for the whole length of their shell. It is this keel that gives this turtle breed its name.

Colors

Baby Razorback Musk Turtles will showcase a tan or cream color with brown spots on the shell and body. As these turtles grow, their shell starts to darken into a brown color, and there will be darker rings around your pet’s scutes as well. The body will turn into a gray color, and there will be spots on the legs and head.

Baby Razorback Musk Turtles will showcase a tan or cream color with brown spots on the shell and body.

Environment

Because the Razorback Musk Turtle spends a lot of time in the water, you will need to provide your pet with an enclosure that has enough water for your turtle to completely submerge, swim, and walk around on the bottom of the tank. However, baby turtles can do well in water that is quite shallow at just 4-6” deep.

At a minimum, a 30-gallon aquarium tank will give your pet the room that he needs. However, if you are planning on housing more than one turtle in the same tank, you will need to increase the size of the tank to accommodate each additional turtle. As active animals, Razorback Musk Turtles will appreciate and use all of the space that you can give them.

Also, even though these turtles do not bask frequently, you will need to set up a basking area, complete with UV light and heat lamp, in your pet’s tank. You can create a basking spot by using a rock that projects from the water, or you can even use floating aquatic plants. Set the temperature in the basking area anywhere from the mid 80s to low 90s Fahrenheit, whereas the rest of the air temperature in the tank should be 75-83°F.

Your Razorback Musk Turtle will also benefit from a substrate consisting of smooth river pebbles or sand, as he will spend time walking on the bottom of his tank, in addition to swimming. And because these turtles can be messy eaters, you will need to have a strong and high quality water filtration system in place. Set the water temperature to the mid to high 70s Fahrenheit.

Adding non-toxic aquatic plants and rocks will give these shy turtles places to hide and will also provide them with a sense of security. This is especially helpful if your turtle is young. In addition to ensuring you provide your pet with a well-planted aquarium, you can also set up ceramic plant pots, rocks, bogwood, and other hiding places underwater.

The Razorback Musk Turtle is shy, and might even be the shyest of all of the Musk Turtles.

Care Requirements

You can feed your Razorback Musk Turtle a high quality commercial pelleted diet for turtles. Supplement the commercial diet with feeder fish, crickets, roaches, mealworms, bloodworms, and earthworms. You can also follow their wild diet and provide your turtle with snails, mussels and aquatic insects, as well as non-toxic aquatic plants like duckweed.

Behavior

The Razorback Musk Turtle is shy, and might even be the shyest of all of the Musk Turtles. Also, even though these turtles are not the type to bite you, you should only handle them when it is necessary to do so.

When they are provided with enough space, Razorback Musk Turtles will do well in a community tank. You can house these turtles with Sliders, Cooters, and Painted Turtles. These species will often live together peacefully, particularly if they are all around the same size. If you are planning on housing more than one Musk Turtle in the same tank, be careful that they do not show aggression towards one another.

Photo credit: Gelmo94/Wikimedia; Laurent Lebois/Wikimedia

Lisa Selvaggio

Lisa Selvaggio is a freelance writer and editor, and our resident cats-pert, with certifications in pet nutrition and pet first aid. She enjoys producing content that helps people understand animals better so they can give their pets a safe and happy home.

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Common Musk Turtle

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“A Quiet Place: Day One,” the third entry in the popular post-apocalyptic series, took box offices by storm this summer. The film shows the people of New York City as they fight to survive an alien invasion in which blind extraterrestrial beings with a powerful sense of hearing hunt them down by listening for their movements. While the film blew away expectations at the box office, one character truly stole the show – Frodo, the leading kitty. Throughout the movie, Frodo (played by feline actors Nico and Schnitzel) is challenged to stay quiet as he and his human companions (Sam and Eric) try to escape the city and flee to safety. This has raised a question online among cat parents—in the event of a similar alien invasion, would your cat be able to survive? This curiosity has inspired a new trend on TikTok and other social media platforms. In the videos, cat parents pick up their cats and pretend to run for safety. The concept is simple: While either holding your phone camera or strategically setting it up to capture the attempt, pick up your cat and make a run for it. The good news is that no cats were harmed in the making of these videos. There are obviously no real aliens hunting people down as they flee their homes. The bad news? Very few cats would survive if this movie were to become a reality! If you are in need of a good laugh, the videos won’t disappoint. While some cats stayed silent, ensuring they and their beloved owners would flee safely, others were unimpressed that they were even picked up to begin with. Cats of TikTok can be seen vocally expressing their disapproval while others fought to be released, believing they would survive better on their own without the extra “baggage” of a human to hold them back (or at least that’s how the comments describe their response). One TikTok user, @birchcanread, created a video testing each of her six cats. The video, which now has over 7 million views, demonstrated why most cat parents would be doomed in this scenario.

These are the Most Popular Dog Breeds In Different US Cities

There’s no doubt that dogs are by far the most popular pets in the U.S., with roughly 65.1 million homes having one or more dogs as pets. But not all breeds are loved equally, according to the latest studies from the American Pet Products Association. Certain dog breeds seem a bit more loved by Americans than others and these rankings are a great insight into their popularity in different cities. The North American Pet Health Insurance Association also reports that the number of insured pets in the U.S. has increased around 22.6% annually since 2020, which indicates that doggos are continuing to steal the spotlight as the most famous pets around. In fact, the vast majority of insured pets in the country are dogs.  U.S. News & World Report analyzed all this data to reveal the five most popular dog breeds in 25 major U.S. cities, indicating some very unique dog ownership trends. 1. Austin, Texas:GoldendoodleFrench BulldogLabrador RetrieverGolden RetrieverSiberian Husky2. Boston, MassachusettsGolden RetrieverGerman ShepherdShih TzuBichon FriseCavalier King Charles Spaniel3. Charlotte, North CarolinaGolden RetrieverGoldendoodleEnglish Springer SpanielBrittany SpanielFrench Bulldog4. Chicago, IllinoisGoldendoodleGolden RetrieverGerman ShepherdFrench BulldogMiniature Dachshund5. Columbus, OhioGolden RetrieverRottweilerAustralian ShepherdBernese Mountain DogSilken Windhound6. Dallas, TexasFrench BulldogLabrador Retriever (Yellow)Cane CorsoGolden RetrieverPembroke Welsh Corgi7. Denver, ColoradoGolden RetrieverFrench BulldogGerman ShepherdMalteseAmerican Pit Bull Terrier8. El Paso, TexasShih TzuGerman ShepherdFrench BulldogSchnauzerLabrador Retriever9. Fort Worth, TexasGoldendoodleGerman ShepherdMaltesePugBeagle10. Houston, TexasGoldendoodleGerman ShepherdFrench BulldogChihuahuaPomeranian11. Indianapolis, IndianaShih TzuChihuahuaAmerican BullyAmerican Pit Bull TerrierGoldendoodle12. Jacksonville, FloridaGolden RetrieverFrench BulldogBoxerToy PoodleAmerican Bully13. Las Vegas, NevadaFrench BulldogGolden RetrieverGoldendoodleAustralian ShepherdShih Tzu14. Los Angeles, CaliforniaFrench BulldogGolden RetrieverChihuahuaEnglish BulldogGoldendoodle15. Nashville, TennesseeGoldendoodleGolden RetrieverLagotto RomagnoloLabrador RetrieverSiberian Husky16. New York, New YorkGolden RetrieverYorkshire TerrierGoldendoodleShih TzuFrench Bulldog17. Oklahoma City, OklahomaGerman ShepherdEnglish BulldogGreat PyreneesMiniature SchnauzerYorkshire Terrier18. Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaGolden RetrieverYorkshire TerrierChihuahuaShih TzuAmerican Pit Bull Terrier19. Phoenix, ArizonaGolden RetrieverGerman ShepherdChihuahuaAustralian ShepherdFrench Bulldog20. San Antonio, TexasLabrador Retriever (Yellow)PugFrench BulldogChihuahuaGerman Shepherd21. San Diego, CaliforniaGolden RetrieverPugFrench BulldogLabrador Retriever (Yellow)Labrador Retriever22. San Francisco, CaliforniaGoldendoodleChihuahuaShih TzuGerman ShepherdPomeranian23. San Jose, CaliforniaGerman ShepherdGoldendoodleGolden RetrieverPembroke Welsh CorgiToy Poodle24. Seattle, WashingtonGolden RetrieverFrench BulldogDachshundGoldendoodlePoodle25. Washington, D.C.French BulldogPoodle Golden RetrieverSoft-Coated Wheaten TerrierGoldendoodleIt's clear that in many of America’s largest cities, certain breeds are more popular than others, like the Goldendoodle, Golden Retriever, and French Bulldog. Poodles, Pugs, and German Shepherds are also close at the top. We can also spot some regional trends as well. For example, the German Shepherd is quite popular in Texas, mainly for its role as a working and service dog.What about you? What is your favorite dog breed and why? Does your personal fave align with your city’s most popular breeds? Tell us in the comments!

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