Common mud turtle
The Eastern mud turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum) is a small semiaquatic species of turtle in the family Kinosternidae. It can be found only in the United States and has two recognized subspecies.
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
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NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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SolitaryHi
HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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starts withEastern mud turtles are often hard to identify. Their carapace is keelless, lacks any pattern, and varies in color from yellowish to black. The plastron is large and double-hinged, can be yellowish to brown, and may sometimes have a dark pattern. The chin and throat are a yellowish grey, streaked and mottled with brown, while the limbs and tail are grayish. The eye, or irises, of these turtles, are yellow with dark clouding, and their feet are webbed.
Eastern mud turtles are native to the Southeastern and Northeastern United States where they are found in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Mud turtles live in rivers, lakes, and swamps and prefer ponds that have a lot of vegetation. They can generally be found in spring-fed streams, and they prefer clean, oxygenated water. Mud turtles can also tolerate brackish water so they may be found near salt marshes and on coastal islands. Eastern mud turtles will move seasonally from uplands that they frequent to wetlands and aquatic movement in their home ranges.
Eastern mud turtles are solitary crepuscular creatures. They are home both on land and in water and spend most of their time submerged in shallow waters. They rarely bask, but when they do, they will bask on rocks or debris floating on the surface of the water. They prefer sandy and muddy areas, as they will hibernate by burrowing into the mud. Their hibernacula sites are usually located about 70 meters (0.4 mi) from wetlands and have a large amount of leaf and pine litter and not too much tree cove. The leaf litter helps to keep the soil moisture and the temperature consistent, while a more open canopy exposes turtles to higher temperatures before emergence.
Eastern mud turtles are omnivorous and their diet includes insects, crustaceans, mollusks, amphibians, carrion, and aquatic vegetation. Smaller individuals prey on small aquatic insects, algae, and carrion, whereas larger ones can feed on any type of food.
Eastern mud turtles are polygynandrous (promiscuous) meaning both the males and the females have multiple partners during the breeding season. They mate during early spring and females lay their eggs in May to early June. Clutch sizes vary from 2 to 5 eggs. The incubation period of the eggs can range from 76 to 124 days. Hatchlings have a wider carapace than the width of the eggs they hatch from, indicating that the carapace unfolds immediately upon hatching. The young become independent immediately after hatching. Males become reproductively mature between 3 and 7 years of age, while females start breeding when they are 3 to 8 years old.
Eastern mud turtles are not considered threatened at present but they suffer from the loss of their native habitat, pesticide poisoning, and road mortality.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Eastern mud turtle total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
