Narrow-bridged musk turtle

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Narrow-bridged musk turtle
Claudius angustatus in an aquarium
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 2.3)[1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Kinosternidae
Subfamily:	Staurotypinae
Genus:	Claudius Cope, 1865
Species:	C. angustatus
Binomial name
Claudius angustatus Cope, 1865[1]
Synonyms[3]
Claudius angustatus Cope, 1865 Claudius megalocephalus Bocourt, 1868 Claudius macrocephalus Gray, 1868 (ex errore) Claudius megacephalus Boulenger, 1889 (ex errore) Claudias angustatus — Velasco, 1892 Claudius agassizii H.M. Smith & Taylor, 1950 (nomen nudum) Claudius angustatum — Sullivan & Riggs, 1967

The narrow-bridged musk turtle (Claudius angustatus) is a species of turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species is found in Central America and Mexico.

C. angustatus is found in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.^[1]

As of 2010, C. angustatus is the only recognized extant species in the genus Claudius.^[1]

The narrow-bridged musk turtle is typically brown in color. The scutes of the carapace have lines and graining, imparting an almost wood-like appearance. It often has bright-yellow markings on the edges of the carapace. As it ages, algae often heavily cover the shell, masking the patterning and coloration. The head is large and bulbous for its size, with a sharp beak and a long neck. The jaw joint anatomy of the narrow-bridged musk turtle is unique among modern Cryptodira.^[4] In most cryptodires the jaw joint is formed by a biconcave facet. In the narrow-bridged musk turtle, the jaw joint of is formed by a broad hemispherical condyle, more akin to Pleurodira. The carapace is domed, with three distinct ridges down the length. Though classified in the subfamily Staurotypinae with the "giant" musk turtles, the narrow-bridged musk turtle generally only grows to a straight carapace length of about 6.5 in (16.5 cm).^{[citation needed]}

The narrow-bridged musk turtle exhibits genetic sex determination, in contrast to most turtles; although the mechanism is not known for certain, it is suspected to be XX/XY like that of its relative Staurotypus.^[5][6]

Like all musk turtles, the narrow-bridged musk turtle is almost entirely aquatic, and prefers habitats such as slow-moving creeks, or shallow ponds that are heavily vegetated. It spends much of its time walking along the bottom, foraging for aquatic insects and other invertebrates, and carrion. It has glands under the rear of the shell from which it can release a foul-smelling musk, hence its common name.^{[citation needed]}

• Turtles of the World: Claudius angustatus
• Species Claudius angustatus at The Reptile Database

• Boulenger GA (1889). Catalogue of the Chelonians, Rhynchocephalians, and Crocodiles in the British Museum (Natural History). New Edition. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). x + 311 pp. + Plates I-III. (Genus Claudius, p. 32; species C. angustatus, p. 33).
• Cope ED (1865). "Third contribution to the HERPETOLOGY of Tropical America". Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 17: 185–198. (Claudius angustatus, new species, pp. 187–188).
• Goin CJ, Goin OB, Zug GR (1978). Introduction to Herpetology, Third Edition. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company. xi + 378 pp. ISBN 0-7167-0020-4. (Genus Claudius, p. 264).

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