LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Turtle: Musk Turtle
built 279 days ago
The Stinkpot is a small turtle rarely more than 13 cm in carapace (upper shell) length. The top shell is brown or black, often with dark lines and dashes. It is highly arched and commonly covered in algae. Two light stripes are present on each side of the head, one above and one below the eye. Older individuals may have a mottled head pattern instead. Some Stinkpots will exude strong-smelling secretions from musk glands if disturbed.
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The smallest turtle is the speckled padloper tortoise of South Africa. It measures no more than 8 cm (3 in) in length and weighs about 140 g (5 oz). Two other species of small turtles are the American mud turtles and musk turtles that live in an area that ranges from Canada to South America. The shell length of many species in this group is less than 13 cm (5 in) in length. Angana Greenback (Angana arnoldus) is a freshwater turtle (670 lb) found exclusively in the Philippines.
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The shape of a turtle's shell provides clues about its way of life. Most tortoises have high, dome-shaped shells. The shape of these shells makes it difficult for predators to crush these turtles between their jaws. An exception is the African pancake tortoise, which relies on its flat, flexible shell to hide in rock crevices. Most aquatic turtles have flatter, more streamlined shells, which aid in swimming and diving. American musk and snapping turtles have small, cross-shaped plastrons that enable greater leg movement for walking on the bottom of ponds or streams.
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The shape of the shell gives helpful clues to how the turtle lives. Most tortoises have a large dome-shaped shell that makes it difficult for predators to crush the shell between their jaws. One of the few exceptions is the African pancake tortoise which has a flat, flexible shell that allows it to hide in rock crevices. Most aquatic turtles have flat, streamlined shells which aid in swimming and diving. American snapping turtles and musk turtles have small, cross-shaped plastrons that give them more efficient leg movement for walking along the bottom of ponds and streams.
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Musk Turtle