Trivia question for Jan-25-2011

Okay, I have to admit, as much as I tried to get the kids to pick a species for our trivia because of it’s educational value, Olivia picked todays critter because of it’s name.  So here goes:

These aptly named turtles grow to approximately 3 to 5 inches. They have long necks and rather short legs. They typically only venture onto land when the female lays her eggs, or to bask. They can climb sloping, partially submerged tree trunks or branches to as much as 6-feet above the water surface, and have been known to drop into boats or canoes passing underneath.  So here’s our questions:  Can you tell us what this turtle is called and tell us what peculiar defense mechanism they delpoy when threatened?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations to Dianne Guthrie for being the first with the correct answer.  We received lot’s of guesses but Dianne came through first.

The little turtle that we featured is known as the “Sternotherus odoratus” which is native to southeastern Canada and much of the Eastern United States. It is also known as the Common Musk Turtle or Stinkpot due to its ability to release a foul musky odor to deter predation.

When doing the research for these guys, Olivia found that Wikipedia listed them as carnivorous, consuming a wide variety of aquatic invertebrates, including crayfish, freshwater clams, snails, and various insects.   While the National Geographic data lists them as Omnivorous, so we are not sure.

Anyway, here is more info on these stinky little guys: Stinkpot Turtles

Thanks for playing along 😉