Southeastern Mud Turtle

Scientific Name: Kinosternon subrubrum
Size: 3-5 inches (7-10 cm) in length
Status: Endangered Species

Habitat:
Slow moving or standing waters with soft mud bottoms and an abundant amount of aquatic vegetation.

Description:
Small aquatic species. The upper shell is brown, olive, or black. The underside of the turtle is yellow or yellow-brown. The skin is brown with a slight olive green appearance. It's head is brown and can have varying degrees of yellow markings along the sides. It's shell is smooth and round.

Adult Coloration:
  • The carapace color is yellow-brown, olive-brown to black and unpatterned.
  • The plastron is yellow to yellowish brown.
  • The skin of the neck, legs, and tail is olive to olive brown.
  • The head is olive-brown on top and becomes yellow or mottled with yellow along the sides, jaw and chin.
Adult Characteristics:
  • Small aquatic species.
  • Profile View – The carapace is low and lacks keels.
  • Above View – The carapace is oblong with smooth margins.
  • The posterior margin of the carapace is strongly serrated.
  • The plastron is large and covers the underside, and had two well-developed transverse hinges; one on each side of the abdominal scutes.
  • The legs are short and well-developed.
  • The feet are webbed between the toes.
Juvenile Characteristics:
  • Similar to adults
Range:

May be Confused With:
References:
  • Hulse, C. and McCoy C. J. and Ellen Censky ,1998. Amphibians and Reptiles of Pennsylvania and the Northeast. 194-196pp.
  • Ernst, Carl H. and Lovich, Jeffrey E., and Barbour, Roger W. ,1994. Turtles of the United States and Canada. 167-176pp.
Credits:
  • Bob Hamilton
  • Billy Brown
  • Brandon Ruhe
  • Stephen Staedtler

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