The Genus Sternotherus was described by British Zoologist John Edward Gray in 1825.

The genus is divided in the Order of the Testudines; the suborder Cryptodira, the superfamily Kinosternoidae and the family Kinosternidae and placed in the Sub-family: Kinosterninae.
The other Sub-family of Kinosternidae is Staurotypinae, which holds the genus Staurotypus and Claudius.
The other genus within Kinosterninae is Kinosternon, which holds many species.

 

 

The genus Sternotherus is divided in 4 species:
Sternotherus odoratus (common musk turtle)
Sternotherus minor (loggerhead musk turtle)
Sternotherus carinatus (razorback musk turtle)
Sternotherus depressus (flattened musk turtle)