NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Loggerhead Musk Turtle
Sternotherus minor (Agassiz, 1857)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The loggerhead musk turtle (Sternotherus minor) is a species of turtle in the 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. The average size of an adult loggerhead musk turtle is about 3–5 in (7.6–12.7 cm) in straight carapace length.
The species is native to the southern United States, being found in rivers, wetlands, and streams in the states of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. The diet of an adult loggerhead musk turtle consists mostly of clams and snails.
As of 2016 the conservation status of the loggerhead musk turtle is "Least Concern", and its common threats include habitat loss and human interactions such as car or boating accidents.
Wikipedia contributors, Loggerhead musk turtle; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T10:08:28.594394+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Sternotherus minor (Agassiz, 1857)
- Name authority
- (Agassiz, 1857)
- Common name
- Loggerhead Musk Turtle
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Testudines
- Family
- Kinosternidae
- Genus
- Sternotherus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderTestudines Batsch, 1788
- suborderCryptodira
- superfamilyChelydroidea
- familyKinosternidae
- genusSternotherus
- speciesSternotherus minor (Agassiz, 1857)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Sternotherus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Razorback Musk TurtleSternotherus carinatus (Gray, 1856) | KinosternidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Common Musk TurtleSternotherus odoratus (Latreille, 1802) | KinosternidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Flattened Musk TurtleSternotherus depressus Tinkle & Webb, 1955 | KinosternidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Stripeneck Musk TurtleSternotherus peltifer Smith & Glass, 1947 | KinosternidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Intermediate Musk TurtleSternotherus intermedius Scott, Glenn & Rissler, 2017 | KinosternidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Goniochelys minor Agassiz, 1857 Agassiz, 1857 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Sternotherus&species=minor Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:52FSY. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.