APHOTOMARINE
An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.
Sternotherus odoratus LATREILLE 1802 - Common / Eastern Musk Turtle or Stinkpot
Scroll down and rollover titles to change screen image or click on title to view image.
Loggerhead sea turtle
Sternotherus odoratus
- rear view turtle 1
Sternotherus odoratus
- rear view turtle 1
Loggerhead sea turtle
Sternotherus odoratus
- lateral view head 1
Technically speaking this species should NEVER be found on a marine life website as it is a non-native freshwater species that is sold by the pet trade in the UK. The species is a native of SE Canada and the eastern United States of America.
It is unknow if the species was illegally released into the wild into freshwater or seawater, but as the species was found washed-up alive on the beach at Crantock, near Newquay, Cornwall, during the winter of 2015/16, I've no option but to feature the species here in case this happens again, or should someone stumble upon a naturalized colony in the wild somewhere.
After the animal was found it was taken by the finder to Blue Reef Aquarium at Newquay, where it was cared for, quarantined and later put on display.
The main objective of this website is in furthering environmental awareness and education through the medium of photography. To increase awareness and access to the wildlife of the region and help
people find and identify it. Sometimes the difference between species is obvious but many species can only be determined by observing microscopic characteristics that are specific to any one species.