Common Musk Turtle

Common Musk Turtle

Sterotherus odoratus

Size: to 4.5"

Habitat: in and around water

Notes: Also known as 'Stinkpots'. Often bad-smelling, sometimes snappy, and a nimble climber. Occasionally, this little turtle is even found in trees.


paddlewheel

The paddlewheel predates even the steam engine. Horse-driven paddlewheel ferries have been in use for hundreds of years. Compared to screw-type propellers, the design and construction of a paddlewheel is much simpler, and therefore they remained the dominant method of propulsion through the mid-1800s, with some examples remaining in use until after World War II.