18)The Eastern Mud Turtle

The Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)

Description: 3-47/8". Carapace olive to dark brown, patternless, smooth, keelless. No enlarged Marginated scutes. Plastron yellow to brown, double-hinged, with 11 scutes. Males have well developed blunt spine at end of tail and rough scale patches on inside of hind legs.
Breeding: Sexually mature at 5-7 years. Breeds mid march to may; usually nests in June, but October through June nestings have occured. 1-6 elliptical eggs--shelled, pinkish or bluishwhite, 1"--are deposited in a 3-5' cavity dug in vegetative debris or sandy loam soil. Several clutches laid annually in Southern populations. Muskrat or beaver lodges and alligator nests are occasionally
used.
Habitat: Fresh or Brackish water. Prefers shallow, soft-bottomed, slow-moving water with abundant vegetation. Often occupies muskrat lodges.
Range: Sw. Connecticut and Long Island south to s. Florida, west to c. Texas, and north in the Mississippi Valleyto s. Illinois and sw. Indiana; an isolated population in nw.
Facts: Active April to October, During warmer months it can be seen prowling along the bottom. If the habitat dries up, the turtles may move overland to a permanent body of water or burrow into the mud and aestivate. Suprisingly terrestrial, they are frequently seen crossing roads; many are killed doing so. Some Mud Turtles are mild-tempered, while others are fiesty and do not hesitate to bite.