Description: The eastern mud turtle is a small and often hard to identify species. It measures 3–4 inches 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: 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. The Eastern mud turtle rarely basks, but in the instance they do, they will bask on rocks or debris floating on the surface of the water. In the wild, they also prefer sandy and muddy areas, as they will hibernate by burrowing into the mud. The Eastern Mud Turtle prefers hibernacula sites about 76.5 feet from wetlands and that have a large amount of leaf and pine litter and not too much tree cover. They will burrow at the wetland edges at a minimum depth of 0.5 inches below the soil surface to a maximum depth of 1.2 inches 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. Mud turtles can tolerate brackish water so they may be found near salt marshes and on coastal islands.
Range: Eastern mud turtles (Kinosternon subrubrum) are native to the Neartic region and range along the southeastern United States. Their range extends westwards towards east-central Texas along the southern Gulf Coast. Mud turtles are found as far north as the tip of Long Island, New York, and the range continues south of Virginia, east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. They inhabit the eastern two-thirds of North Carolina, southwestern third of Tennessee, southwestern half of Kentucky, and eastern third of Oklahoma. Southward, their range encompasses almost all of Arkansas, the southwest portion of South Carolina, and the entirety of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana. There are two disjunct populations: one in northwest Indiana and another in west-central Missouri. In Indiana, the eastern mud turtle is listed as an endangered species.
Diet: The eastern mud turtle is omnivorous and feeds on insects, crustaceans, mollusks, amphibians, carrion, and aquatic vegetation. Smaller eastern mud turtles prey on small aquatic insects, algae, and carrion, whereas larger ones can feed on any type of food.
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. Clutch size increases as female plastron length increases and they have at least 3 clutches/year. Reproduction in this species varies greatly depending on latitudinal location. Clutches per year for this species have been reported to be one clutch per year in some states and multiple clutches in others. In a study conducted in South Carolina, clutch frequency in warmer areas averaged multiple clutches, but two clutches per year were the approximate average in cooler regions of the state. The incubation period of the eggs can range from 76 to 124 days. K. subrubrum hatchlings have a wider carapace than the width of the eggs they hatch from, indicating that the carapace unfolds immediately upon hatching.
Status: Eastern mud turtles are classified as a species of “Least Concern” according to IUCN Red List. They are not listed on the US Federal List, CITES, and the state of Michigan List. Eastern mud turtles are considered state-endangered in Indiana, New York, and Pennsylvania, and a species of greatest conservation need in Kentucky
The main threat to these turtles is habitat loss and highway mortality, as few turtles manage to cross highways. Habitat loss via roads bisecting aquatic habitats, increased urbanization, and a change in climate that elevates sea levels all harm these mud turtles. Illegal pet trade of this species also has caused damage to their native ecosystem via loss of biodiversity.
Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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