Females grow up to a foot long with males half as big. Their jaws are strong to crack open snails and mussels but they eat soft bodied insects and other animals too. There are five species of mud turtles in North America. One is Kinosternon subrubrum . They can pull their head and limbs into their shell.
Mud turtles eat insects and small animals.
The Eastern mud turtle is most common. They grow to about 3 to 6 inches. Breeding takes place in early spring with egg laying of one to six eggs in June in most cases. The common musk turtle is called the stinkpot. Sternotherus odoratus says it all since the word odor is in their Latin name.