THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY

Reptilia    Testudines    Kinosternidae  

Intermediate Musk Turtle
Sternotherus intermedius Scott, Glenn, and Rissler, 2018
STER-noh-THER-us — in-ter-MEE-dee-us

SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
 Named by Scott et al. (2018, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 120: 1–15) for its historic recognition as a hypothetical "intermediate" form between S. peltifer and S. minor (e.g., Ernst et al., 1988, The American Midland Naturalist 120: 282–288) and supported by Turtle Taxonomy Working Group (2021, Chelonian Research Monographs (8): 1–472). (Taggart, Travis W. and John Carr. 2025. Testudines – Turtles. Pages 55-63 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.)

Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2023.10.18.16.23.17)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 0.18 MB

Province/State Distribution:
USA: Alabama Florida

Taxonomic Etymology:
Named for its intermediate morphology.
Sternotherus — From Greek sternon (στέρνον), “chest,” and therion (θηρίον), “beast” or “creature.” Likely references the plastron (underside) anatomy, distinguishing these turtles from others.
intermedius — From Latin intermedius, “in-between” or “intermediate.” Reflects the species’ morphological and genetic position between S. peltifer and S. minor.

First instance(s) of published English names:
Intermediate Musk Turtle (Sternotherus intermedius: Rhodin, Anders G. J., John B. Iverson, Roger Bour, Uwe Fritz, Arthur Georges, H. Bradley Shaffer, and Peter Paul van Dijk. 2021. Turtles and tortoises of the world during the rise and global spread of humanity: First checklist and review of extinct pleistocene and holocene chelonians. Chelonian Research Monographs (8):1-472);

Taxon Links:

  
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
  
The Reptile Database
  
NatureServe
  
iNaturalist
  
GenBank
  
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

Selected References:
1956 Tinkle, Donald W. The systematics and ecology of the Sternotherus carinatus complex (Testudinata: Chelydridae). Dissertation. Tulane University, New Orleans, Lousiana. 233pp.
1958 Tinkle, Donald W. The systematics and ecology of the Sternotherus carinatus complex (Testudinata, Chelydridae). Tulane Studies in Zoology and Botany 6(1):1-56
1981 Seidel, Michael E., and R.V. Lucchino S.L. Reynolds. Phylogenetic relationships among musk turtles (genus Sternotherus) and genic variation in Sternotherus odoratus. Herpetologica 37(3):161-165
1986 Zug, George R. Sternotherus. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (397):1-3
1988 Ernst, Carl H., John L. Miller, Ken R. Marion, and William A. Cox. Comparisons of shell morphology among turtles of the Kinosternon minor complex. The American Midland Naturalist 120(2):282-288
2018 Scott, Peter A., Travis C Glenn, and Leslie J Rissler. Resolving taxonomic turbulence and uncovering cryptic diversity in the Musk Turtles (Sternotherus) using robust demographic modeling. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 120:1-15
2021 Rhodin, Anders G. J., John B. Iverson, Roger Bour, Uwe Fritz, Arthur Georges, H. Bradley Shaffer, and Peter Paul van Dijk. Turtles and tortoises of the world during the rise and global spread of humanity: First checklist and review of extinct pleistocene and holocene chelonians. Chelonian Research Monographs (8):1-472

THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY — Accessed: Wednesday 09 July 2025 14:35 CT