How Many Types Of Mud Turtles Are There?
On the face of it, many turtles live in the mud and could be thought of as mud, or at least, muddy, turtles. But mud turtles are a specific group of amphibians that share common characteristics, and can be found throughout the United States, Central and South America, and Africa. Their scientific family name is Kinosternidae.
Mud turtles get their name from the environment that they love the best – mud. That isn’t to say that they don’t appreciate other kinds of living space. They like water of course, especially if it’s slow-moving and lazy, and has a soft silt or muddy bottom. Some of them burrow, and most of them like to be around sheltering vegetation, giving them a place to hide as well as a source of food for those who have slight vegetarian inclinations.
They are egg layers, as are all turtles, and they can live to be as much as fifty or more years old. Some mud turtles can lay more than one clutch of eggs each breeding season, which is obviously a useful characteristic for the survival of the species.
They are generally quite small, and they can be confused with the very similar musk turtle. In comparison, they are smaller and they have a less highly domed shell than the musk turtle family.
Do Mud Turtles Make Good Pets?
Mud turtles are easy to keep, and with a little care, they can have a long and happy life. They are small creatures, so they don’t need a huge living space. A twenty-five-gallon tank is the ideal size for many of the mud turtle species. Check to see how much land and how much water they need, and as some of them are pretty good climbers, you need to consider having a good cover for your turtle habitat.
The more interesting the habitat you can provide, the more your turtle will enjoy its life and the more you will enjoy watching them.
They are omnivorous, which means that they eat all kinds of things. Fish, shellfish, small amphibians, insects, worms, and even carrion – mud turtles will happily thrive on turtle food from your local pet store. It’s a good idea though to make sure that you are meeting the exact dietary needs of your pet by feeding him with fresh food, at least occasionally.
Temperature and Turtles
Most mud turtles need an air and water temperature from the mid-seventies to eighties Fahrenheit. They will also appreciate a warmer basking spot. You will probably need to have lighting fixed up to ensure that you can provide these warm conditions.
Another point in favor of the mud turtle family is cost. Rare and beautiful turtles can cost as much as $1,000. A mud turtle will set you back around $10 to $20. Also, they are very easily available in local pet stores. As always, please make sure that your turtle has not been captured in the wild. If you have any doubts, take your business elsewhere. Capturing turtles for the wild to sell for profit to the pet trade has led to the endangerment of many turtle species.
If you want to find out more about which turtles are endangered, Allturtles has some good information.
Why Do Mud Turtles Sunbathe?
All turtles are cold-blooded and sunbathing, or basking as it is usually called, helps them gather energy to go and hunt for food, to mate, and to keep themselves safe from predators. Turtles often have a regular spot that they like, so if you are turtle spotting in the wild, look for good flat stones by the side of the water – a favorite spot for most turtles.
How Do Mud Turtles Breed?
Mud turtles are oviparous (in other words, they lay eggs). Eggs are usually laid in dry burrows, and there can be from four to six eggs in a nest. Incubation of the eggs takes from two to three months. The young hatchlings are very vulnerable to predators. They make a tasty snack for just about every creature – including in some cases their own parents.
Do Mud Turtles Get Friendly?
A turtle is not a puppy. You are not going to have much of a relationship with your mud turtle. It will not wag its tail and greet you with a happy smile. Some turtles do respond a bit to their owners – most likely associating them with the provision of snacks. The real interest in keeping a turtle is to watch their behavior, to do a great job of providing him a happy, healthy, environment, and if you have a male and female turtle, to breed them.
Which Are The Most Popular Mud Turtles To Keep As Pets?
The most common turtles to find in pet stores are:
- The yellow mud turtle
- The Mississippi mud turtle
- The striped mud turtle
- The Eastern or common mud turtle
These are the turtles that many beginner turtle enthusiasts start out with. They aren’t especially glamorous, but they are relatively hardy and they are not endangered, so you can keep them as a pet with a clear conscience.
1. The Mississippi Mud Turtle – Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis
The Mississippi mud turtle is a subspecies of the common or Eastern mud turtle. As you would imagine, this subspecies is to be found in the muddy Mississippi River, although they prefer to be around water, rather than to swim in it.
Small in size, growing to just 4 ½”, they are black or brown in color with a yellow splotched plastron or lower shell. They can be identified by yellow stripes along the side of their neck and face.
2. The Striped (Or Three Striped) Mud Turtle – Kinosternon baurii
This small mud turtle grows to 5″ and can be found in Virginia, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, and North and South Carolina. It can be easily identified by the pale-colored stripes on its shell – three of them. On their face and neck, they feature dashing yellow stripes, making them one of the prettier mud turtles.
The striped mud turtle can be seen bustling about on land as it forages for food. It’s one of the faster-moving members of the family. They are not as fond of basking as some of the other mud turtles, and of course, they love shallow, slow-moving water. This turtle will occasionally eat green stuff, so if you keep one as a pet, give him the odd lettuce or spinach leaf.
3. The Yellow Mud Turtle – Kinosternon flavescens
This turtle, sometimes known as the yellow-necked mud turtle, can be found widely distributed in the United States. It’s present in New Mexico, Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Iowa, Arizona, Nebraska, and Colorado.
Growing up to 6″ long, it lives for up to fifty years. These turtles love to dig burrows in sandy soil, and they can be found living in swamps near ponds and other still waters. They are olive green in color and have yellow face markings and plastrons. Like most turtles, they are carnivores, eating small fish, crustaceans, worms, bugs, and the like.
4. The White Lipped Mud Turtle – Kinosternon leucostomum
This turtle is found in South and Central America. Growing in size to around 10″, it’s one of the larger mud turtles. It lives around water ponds, marshes, and swamps, where the bottom is soft. In the case of drought, it will burrow into that mud until the threat passes.
They can be recognized by their white coloring around the jaws and mouth, and sometimes extending a little onto the head. Their oval-shaped shell is dark brown or black in color.
You can see the white-lipped mud turtle most easily around dawn and dusk. It’s then that they go foraging for food. They are mainly carnivorous, especially when young, but will eat their vegetables occasionally. They can live to be fifty years old or more.
5. The Scorpion Mud Turtle – Kinosternon scorpioides
The scorpion mud turtle is known for its fiercely carnivorous behavior. It feeds on a diet of small amphibians, like frogs, worms, small fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and even small members of its own kind.
Growing to 11″ long, it can live for as long as fifty years. It is rather beautifully colored, unlike most of the mud turtle gang, with a wide range of coloring. Their upper shell, or carapace, can be every shade from pale tan to chestnut, dark brown, and black. Bright orange, red, or yellow markings on the face and neck really stand out and make it easily identifiable. They can be found in South and Central America, and they prefer slow-moving water with a soft bottom.
6. The Red-cheeked Mud Turtle – Kinosternon scorpioides cruentatum
This is a sub-species of the scorpion turtle. It’s a smaller creature, growing to just 7″ long, and lives to be around fifty years old. They are widespread throughout South America, and they love clear water with a sandy or muddy bottom. These can be found in lakes and slow-moving rivers, and have the endearing habit of sunbathing by floating just under the surface of the water.
They are rather attractive, with a dark brown carapace and a bright orange plastron. Their faces have red and orange splashes with black speckles. They eat the usual turtle carnivorous diet of crustaceans, mollusks, worms, insects, and small fish.
7. The Eastern Mud Turtle – Kinosternon subrubrum
The Eastern mud turtle is common throughout most of the warmer states of North America. Tan in color, perhaps a little dull-looking, they grow to 5″ in length and live to around forty years of age. In the wild, they favor slow-moving water and ponds, and can often be seen basking in the sun.
8. Adanson’s Mud Turtle – Pelusios adansonii
Found throughout Africa, it can grow up to 9″ long. It has a dark brown ridged carapace and a yellow plastron. Although they aren’t considered endangered, they are considered good to eat and are hunted for food, so attempts are being made to conserve them using local laws. You can find out more about global turtle conservation on the turtle survival site.
9. The Central American Mud Turtle – Kinosternon angustipons
Sometimes called the narrow bridge mud turtle, this turtle has quite a limited range, being found in Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua only. A medium-sized turtle, it is considered officially considered vulnerable due to loss of habitat and pollution. One fact in their favor is that the female can lay several clutches of eggs each year.
10. The Arizona Mud Turtle – Kinosternon stejnegeri
Unusually, this mud turtle lives in the Arizona desert. It favors semi-permanent ponds, not enjoying living around rivers or permanent ponds. During the winter season, the Arizona mud turtle hibernates below its semi-permanent pond home. If there is a prolonged drought, this amazing turtle can hibernate for as long as two years.
Males grow to 7 ½”, females are a bit smaller. The carapace is yellowish brown, brown, or olive green. The plastron is yellow, and the upper shell has a yellow edge. This turtle has grey skin, and overall it’s rather an attractive member of the mud turtle gang.
They are out and about during the day, and need a secure source of food – they eat small aquatic creatures in the main. Their choice of habitat depends on there being a reliable food source, and eggs are always laid in a burrow near a good food source. The Arizona mud turtle is under threat from man; in particular, from ranching and other kinds of development.
11. The Rough Footed Mud Turtle – Kinosternon hirtipes
This turtle has five subspecies and is found in northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States. The subspecies are:
- The Patzcuarco mud turtle – Kinosternon hirtipes tarascense
- The Lake Chapala mud turtle – Kinosternon hirtipes chapalaense
- The Mexican Plateau mud turtle – Kinosternon hirtipes murrayi
- The Valley of Mexico mud turtle – Kinosternon hirtipes hirtipes
- The San Juanico mud turtle – Kinosternon hirtipes magdalense
With its grayish brown shell, stubby legs, and rather pointed head, this is a slightly unusual-looking turtle, and rather cute. Its conservation situation is good, coming into the “least concerned” category.
They are preyed upon by raccoons and wild pigs, but the populations are holding up. They are omnivores, and their diet consists of small aquatic creatures and insects and shifts to a more vegetarian content as they get older.
