Eastern mud turtle

Species of turtleTemplate:SHORTDESC:Species of turtle

The **eastern mud turtle** (*Kinosternon subrubrum*) or **common mud turtle** is a common species of turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species is endemic to the United States. There are two recognized subspecies.

## Description

The eastern mud turtle is a small and often hard to identify species. It measures 3–4 in (7.6–10.2 cm) in carapace length. The carapace is keelless, 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.

## Habitat

Mud turtles (genus *Kinosternon*) are fresh water turtles that are found in the southern United States. They live in rivers, lakes and swamps. Mud turtles prefer ponds that have a lot of vegetation. These animals can generally be found in spring-fed streams, and they prefer clean, oxygenated water. In the wild, they also prefer sandy and muddy areas, as they will hibernate by burrowing into the mud.

## Reproduction

Mating occurs in *K. subrubrum* during early spring followed by egg laying in May to early June. Clutch sizes vary from 2 to 5.

## Geographic range

The eastern mud turtle is found in the US states of 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.

In Indiana, the eastern mud turtle is listed as an endangered species.

## Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

* *K. s. subrubrum* (Bonnaterre, 1789) – eastern mud turtle (nominate subspecies)
* *K. s. hippocrepis* Gray, 1855 – Mississippi mud turtle

The former subspecies, *K. s. steindachneri* (Siebenrock, 1906) – Florida mud turtle, was elevated to species status in 2013.

*Nota bene*: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than *Kinosternon*.

## References

1. ↑ van Dijk PP (2011). "*Kinosternon subrubum* (errata version published in 2016)". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011: e.T163435A97382608. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T163435A5606303.en. Downloaded on 10 June 2020.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Iverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley (2010-12-14). "Turtles of the world, 2010 update: Annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status" (PDF). *Chelonian Research Monographs*. **5**: 000.98. doi:10.3854/crm.5.000.checklist.v3.2010. ISBN 978-0965354097. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-15.
3. ↑ Fritz, Uwe; Havaš, Peter (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World" (PDF). *Vertebrate Zoology*. **57** (2): 259–260. ISSN 1864-5755. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-17. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
4. ↑ Gibbons, J. Whitfield (1983). "Reproductive Characteristics and Ecology of the Mud Turtle, Kinosternon subrubrum (Lacepede)". *Herpetologica*. **39** (3): 254–271. JSTOR 3892569.
5. ↑ Indiana Legislative Services Agency (2011), "312 IAC 9-5-4: Endangered species of reptiles and amphibians", *Indiana Administrative Code*, retrieved 28 Apr 2012
6. ↑ "*Kinosternon subrubrum* ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
7. ↑ Rhodin, Anders G.J.; Iverson, John B.; Bour, Roger; Fritz, Uwe; Georges, Arthur; Shaffer, H. Bradley; van Dijk, Peter Paul (August 3, 2017). "Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (8th Ed.)" (PDF). *Chelonian Research Monographs*. **7**: 15, 44, 222. ISBN 978-1-5323-5026-9. Retrieved October 4, 2019.

## Further reading

* Behler JL, King FW (1979). *The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians*. New York: Knopf. 742 pp. ISBN 0-394-50824-6. (*Kinosternon subrubrum*, pp. 441–442 + Plates 318, 320, 321).
* Bonnaterre PJ (1789). *Tableau encyclopédique et méthodique des trois règnes de la nature, Erpétologie.* Paris: Panckoucke. xxviii + 71 pp. + 66 plates. (*Testudo subrubra*, new species, pp. 27–28 + [turtles] Plate 5, figure 1). (in French and Latin).
* Boulenger GA (1889). *Catalogue of the Chelonians, Rhynchocephalians, and Crodcodiles in the British Museum (Natural History). New Edition.* London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). x + 311 pp. + Plates I-III. (*Cinosternon pensylvanicum*, pp. 39–40).
* Conant R (1975). *A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition*. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp. + Plates 1-48. ISBN 0-395-19979-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (*Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum*, p. 43 + Plates 4, 5 + Map 13).
* Goin CJ, Goin OB, Zug GR (1978). *Introduction to Herpetology, Third Edition*. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman. xi + 378 pp. ISBN 0-7167-0020-4. (*Kinosternon s. subrubrum*, detailed description of nesting, p. 264).
* Powell R, Conant R, Collins JT (2016). *Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition*. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiv + 494 pp., 47 color plates 207 figures. ISBN 978-0-544-12997-9. (*Kinosternon subrubrum*, pp. 225-227, Figure 102 + Plates 19, 21).
* Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). *Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification*. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. ISBN 0-307-13666-3. (*Kinosternon subrubrum*, pp. 26–27).
* Stejneger L, Barbour T (1917). *A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles*. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 125 pp. (*Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum*, p. 112).
* Zim HS, Smith HM (1956). *Reptiles and Amphibians: A Guide to Familiar American Species: A Golden Nature Guide*. New York: Simon and Schuster. 160 pp. (*Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum*, pp. 19, 23, 155).

## External links

* Eastern mud turtle - *Kinosternon subrubrum* Species account from the Towson University Reptiles of Maryland Web Page.