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The '''loggerhead musk turtle''' ('''''Sternotherus minor''''') is a [[species]] of [[turtle]] in the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Kinosternidae]]. This turtle has a large head which has a light-colored background with dark spots or stripes present on the head and neck.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last1=Buhlmann|first1=Kurt A.|last2=Tuberville|first2=Tracey|last3=Gibbons|first3=Whit|author3-link=J. Whitfield Gibbons
The species is native to the southern [[United States]], being found in [[river]]s, [[wetland]]s, and [[stream]]s in the states of [[Alabama]], [[Florida]], and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].<ref name=":2"/><ref name=RDB>{{EMBL species|genus=Sternotherus|species=minor}} www.reptile-database.org.</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite book|last1=Powell|first1=Robert|author-link=Robert Powell (herpetologist)|last2=Conant|first2=Roger|author2-link=Roger Conant (herpetologist)|last3=Collins|first3=Joseph T.|author3-link=Joseph T. Collins
As of 2016 the [[conservation status]] of the loggerhead musk turtle is "[[Least-concern species|Least Concern]]", and its common threats include [[Habitat destruction|habitat loss]] and human interactions such as car or boating accidents.<ref name=":2" />
== Description ==
The loggerhead musk turtle gets its [[common name]] from its unusually large head, compared to the common musk turtle (''[[Sternotherus odoratus]]'').<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last=Conant|first=Roger
[[File:Sternotherus minor 347150741 (cropped 2).jpg|left|thumb|Adult underwater, [[Florida]]]]
▲The loggerhead musk turtle gets its [[common name]] from its unusually large head, compared to the common musk turtle (''[[Sternotherus odoratus]]'').<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last=Conant|first=Roger|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1423604|title=A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America|date=1975|___location=Boston|publisher=Houghton Mifflin|isbn=0-395-19979-4|edition=Second|oclc=1423604}}</ref>
Its head has a light-colored background with dark spots or stripes. Hatchlings are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in straight carapace length and grow up to around 3 to 5 inches (about 8 to 13 cm) by adulthood. Juveniles have three keels on the [[carapace]] that usually disappear by adulthood.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last1=Conant |first1=Roger |title=A Field Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians: Eastern and Central North America |last2=Collins |first2=Joseph T. |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-395-90452-7 |edition=Third |___location=Boston}}</ref> The loggerhead musk turtle has [[Barbel (anatomy)|barbels]] present on the chin only, not on the throat.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":0" />
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==Geographic distribution==
''S. minor'' is found in freshwaters of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.<ref name=RDB/><ref name=":2" />It occurs in the [[Ogeechee River|Ogeechee]], [[Altamaha River|Altamaha]], and [[Apalachicola River|Apalachicola]] river systems.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|last=Iverson|first=John B.|author-link=species:John B. Iverson|date=1977-08-25|title=Geographic Variation in the Musk Turtle, ''Sternotherus minor ''|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1443269|journal=Copeia|volume=1977|issue=3|pages=502–517|doi=10.2307/1443269|jstor=1443269|issn=0045-8511|url-access=subscription}}</ref> <!-- ''S. peltifer'' is generally found throughout Alabama, east Mississippi, and east Tennessee and can be found in rivers such as the [[Tennessee River|Tennessee]] and [[Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana)|Pearl]].<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":6" /> --> It shares parts of its range in southeast Alabama, west Florida, and west Georgia with the [[stripeneck musk turtle]] (''Sternotherus peltifer''), and both species can be found in rivers such as the [[Choctawhatchee River|Choctawhatchee]] and [[Perdido River|Perdido]].<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":6" />
==Habitat==
''S. minor'' lives in clean freshwater [[habitat]]s such as springs, [[stream]]s, runs, [[wetland]]s, [[pond]]s, and [[river]]s.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":2" />
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== Behaviour ==
[[File:Sternotherus minor 63437690.jpg|thumb|Next to a [[brown water snake]], [[Florida]]|232x232px|left]]
It spends most of its time in the water with less time spent basking out in the sun than is observed in other species.<ref name=":92">{{Cite journal|last1=Cox|first1=William A.|last2=Marion|first2=Ken R.|date=1978|title=Observations on the female reproductive cycle and associated phenomena in spring-dwelling populations of ''Sternotherus minor'' in North Florida (Reptilia: Testudines)|journal=Herpetologica|pages=20–33
=== Feeding ===
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==Reproduction==
[[File:Sternotherus minor 251017529 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Young turtle, Florida]]
''S. minor'' is [[Oviparity|oviparous]].<ref name=":8" /> Between June and August, females can lay up to five [[Clutch (eggs)|clutches]] with one to four eggs per clutch.<ref name=":92" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last1=Cox|first1=William A.|last2=Nowak|first2=Martin C.|last3=Marion|first3=Ken R.|date=1980-06-06|title=Observations on Courtship and Mating Behavior in the Musk Turtle, ''Sternotherus minor ''|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1563862|journal=Journal of Herpetology|volume=14|issue=2|pages=200|doi=10.2307/1563862|jstor=1563862|issn=0022-1511|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Larger females tend to have larger eggs and more eggs per clutch.<ref name=":92" /> Females lay their eggs on the shore, in holes {{convert|8|–|15|cm|in|abbr=on}} deep.<ref name=":92" /> Hatchlings typically have a carapace length of {{convert|2.47|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name=":92" />
=== Mating behavior ===
In the wild, [[mating]] takes place [[Underwater environment|underwater]] in shaded areas.<ref name=":4" /> Males exhibit several different behaviors during the mating process including [[cloaca]]l sniffing, bridge sniffing, mounting, following the female, biting, moving the head from one side to the other, and interlocking of tails.<ref name=":10">{{Cite journal|last1=Bels|first1=Vincent L.|last2=Crama|first2=Yves J.-M.|date=1994-08-17|title=Quantitative Analysis of the Courtship and Mating Behavior in the Loggerhead Musk Turtle ''Sternotherus minor'' (Reptilia: Kinosternidae) with Comments on Courtship Behavior in Turtles|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1447183|journal=Copeia|volume=1994|issue=3|pages=676|doi=10.2307/1447183|jstor=1447183|issn=0045-8511|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
== Conservation and threats ==
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