Errors do occur. Users are cautioned to refer back to the original cited source to assess completeness and correctness before using the information. Web updates are intermittent, not continuous, therefore some dynamic information such as legal status may not be absolutely current. According to Fernandez and Rosen, the Sonoran mud trutle population at Sunflower has been under intensive study since 1983. The 1995 turtle sample at this site was compose entirely of individuals recruited prior to the 1987 crayfish population explosion.
Results suggest a marked population reduction.
The most likely mechanism for an effect of crayfish on this turtle population is via direct predation on hatchling and small juvenile turtles. The Sonoran mud turtle may be seriously threatened by the crayfish O.virilis as the latter spreads throughout Arizona's waters. The most striking finding of this study was the cessation of recruitment of Sonoran mud turtles at Sycamore Creek at Sunflower. This abrupt and unexpected change in population dynamics correlated closely with the initial expansion of the crayfish population. Furthermore, the apparent lack of recruitment since the 1987 crayfish explosion has apparently already contributed to a marked reduction in the turtle population.