Musk Turtles in a Riparium: Size, Setup, and the 4-Inch Sales Rule

Small turtles were part of the original river tank idea: fish, crabs and a turtle or two sharing one tank with water and land. If you want to try it today, the common musk turtle is the species most keepers point to. It stays small and spends most of its time in the water. It's also a decades-long commitment.

Meet the musk turtle

The common musk turtle (Sternotherus odoratus), also called the stinkpot, is native to the eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada. Adults usually reach 3 to 5 inches. They got the "stinkpot" name from a musky smell they release when they're scared, which most captive turtles stop doing once they settle in.

Musk turtles are poor swimmers. They walk along the bottom, climb branches and roots, and come up for air. They rarely leave the water, which suits a riparium better than most turtles.

The 4-inch rule

Since 1975, federal law (21 CFR 1240.62) has banned the sale of turtles with a shell under 4 inches long. The reason is salmonella: in the early 1970s, tiny pet turtles were blamed for a big share of salmonella cases in children. The ban has exceptions for things like scientific and educational use, but it means a pet store shouldn't be selling you a hatchling.

Musk turtles stay small, so buy from a reputable breeder, ask how big the turtle is, and check your state's rules too. Some states also limit keeping native turtles taken from the wild. Don't collect one from a pond.

Salmonella

Any turtle can carry salmonella, even a healthy one. The CDC's advice: wash your hands after handling the turtle or anything in its tank, keep it out of the kitchen, and don't let young children handle it.

Setting up a riparium for a musk turtle

• Tank size: a 40-gallon breeder or a 55-gallon long for one adult.
• Water depth: they handle deep water, but they're more comfortable when they can reach the surface easily. Driftwood, roots and rock piles give them ramps up.
• A basking spot: a dry platform or rock with a heat lamp, plus a UVB bulb for shell and bone health. Musk turtles bask less than other turtles, but they still need it.
• A good filter: turtles are messy. Overfilter, and do regular water changes.
• A secure lid: they climb better than you'd expect.
• Water temperature: low to upper 70s °F.

Who can live with it?

Here's the hard truth for a community river tank: musk turtles are carnivores. They eat snails, shrimp, crayfish and any fish slow enough to catch. Fast fish that stay up in the current often do fine, but anything small, slow or bottom-dwelling is food. Snails and shrimp won't last.

Don't house them with crabs or crayfish, which can injure each other. And don't keep two turtles together unless the tank is big; they can bite.

Feeding

Commercial turtle pellets as the base, plus occasional earthworms, snails, shrimp and small feeder fish. Adults only need to eat every day or two.

A long-term pet

Musk turtles commonly live 30 years or more in captivity, and some have lived over 50. Plan on it.

Small turtles were part of our first river tank, along with fish, crabs and fire-bellied toads. Read the story on our About page.

Sources (3)

Reptiles Magazine: Common Musk Turtle Care Sheet · eCFR: 21 CFR 1240.62, Turtles Intrastate and Interstate Requirements · CDC: Salmonella Outbreaks Linked to Small Turtles

Photo: Gewöhnliche Moschusschildkröte (Sternotherus odoratus), Seitenansicht,_Seitenansicht.jpg) by Peter Paplanus, CC BY 2.0.

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