Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just wanted to post up some pics of my Chiapas giant musk. We got him out to weigh him and he showed off his new talent of striking backwards over his head as quick as a snake. His beak is already bigger than a cockatiel's and it makes us a bit nervous. He's almost impossible to hold on to when he's unhappy! He's also unusual for being a voracious feeder but also living happily with a breeding group of fish. Maybe he can't catch 'em. We raised him from a small fry, so it's fun to see him getting huge-er. He should be about half his adult length but probably a fraction of his adult weight.

http://www.printroom.com/ViewAlbumPhoto.asp?userid=meretseger&album_id=142386&image_id=49

http://www.printroom.com/ViewAlbumPhoto.asp?userid=meretseger&album_id=142386&image_id=36

(cut and paste!)
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

NICE! The Staurotypus are outstanding pet monsters.
I had a S. triporcatus that I also got when it was newly hatched. I raised it to be an 8 inch maniac before I had to part with him.
There is a good photo of him in Dick Bartlett's book "Turtles and Tortoises- A Complete Pet Owner's Manual" on page 52.
What many keepers don't realize is that when raised from hatchlings, both species of Starotypus can actually be very pretty turtles--in addition to being killers!