#eastern mud turtle

Florida Wildlife; vol. 12, no. 4. September, 1958. Illustration by Wallace Hughes.

Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)

Also known as the common mud turtle, the eastern mud turtle is a species of Kinosternid turtle which is native to the United States, where it occurs throughout the eastern and central portions. Like many other turtle species, eastern mud turtles will occupy a range of freshwater habitats like ponds and lakes, where they will feed on a range of invertebrates and small fish

Classification

Animalia-Chordata-Reptilia-Testudines-Kinosternidae-Kinosternon-K. subrubrum

Eastern Mud Turtle 40D0026390 by Cristian-M “Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)

The Eastern Mud Turtle is a small and often hard to identify species of turtle found in the east coast of the United States. The carapace is keeless, lacks any pattern, and varies in color from yellowish to black. The plastron is large and double hinged, and 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 iris, of the Eastern Mud Turtle is yellow with dark clouding and its feet are webbed.

Eastern Mud Turtles dwells in ponds and other freshwater habitats. They feed mainly on insects and small fish. Raccoons are known to eat this species eggs, while herons and alligators often hunt the adults.