''Sternotherus intermedius'' is a species of small

turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked ...

native to

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

. It is also known as the aliflora musk turtle or intermediate musk turtle due to its intermediate patterns on the

shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses ** Thin-shell structure Science Biology * Seashell, a hard o ...

. For a long time, it was thought to be a hybrid between the two subspecies of the

loggerhead musk turtle The loggerhead musk turtle (''Sternotherus minor'') is a species of turtle in the family Kinosternidae. This turtle has a large head which has a light-colored background with dark spots or stripes present on the head and neck. The average size of ...

(the loggerhead and striped-neck musk turtle), but in 2017, it was declared a new species based on DNA research. It is endemic to the

Choctawhatchee River The Choctawhatchee River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map , accessed 15 April 2011 river in the southern United States, flowing through southeast Alabama and the Panhandle o ...

and

Conecuh River The Conecuh River and Escambia River constitute a single river in Alabama and Florida in the United States. The Conecuh River rises near Union Springs in the state and flows in a general southwesterly direction into Florida near Century. The r ...

basins.

References

intermedius The vastus intermedius () (Cruraeus) arises from the front and lateral surfaces of the body of the femur in its upper two-thirds, sitting under the rectus femoris muscle and from the lower part of the lateral intermuscular septum. Its fibers end ...

Reptiles described in 2017 Reptiles of the United States Endemic fauna of Alabama {{turtle-stub