The knife-backed musk turtle

The knife-backed musk turtle is also called the razor turtle, and it has the most unique characteristics It is the shape of the carapace. In many cases, we can infer a razor turtle at a glance without relying on the color of the carapace, the characteristics of the head, etc. It is also the easiest to identify among the egg turtle species.

The carapace has obvious ridges, forming a steep slope. The scutes are light brown to light orange, with dark dots or radial stripes, and dark edges. These patterns may fade in older turtles. The plastron is yellow and the throat shield is missing, so there are only 10 scutes. There is a single slightly shaped hinge joint on the thoracic and ventral shields. The nose projects slightly like a tube. There are tentacles on the chin.

Unlike other musk turtles, the original species is very shy. They rarely bite people or emit odor. They move between March and October and often bask on their backs. In some good resting places, the colony density can reach more than 100 individuals in one acre. On these occasions, fishermen may catch more turtles than fish when baiting.

The so-called musk should originally be a peculiar smell released to protect oneself and shock the enemy. However, this all occurs in newly captured wild individuals, which are almost impossible to smell under artificial breeding.

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