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Turtles of Zihuatanejo

ORDER​ TESTUDINES

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Reptiles (Class Reptilia)

-Turtles and Tortoises (Order Testudines)

-American Mud and Musk Turtles (Family Kinosternidae)

-Kinosternine Turtles (Subfamily Kinosterninae)

-Mud Turtles (Genus Kinosternon)

-Mexican Mud Turtle (Kinosternon integrum)


The Mexican mud turtle (Kinosternon integrum) is a small to medium-sized freshwater turtle native to central and western Mexico, where it inhabits ponds, streams, marshes, and temporary pools. It has a smooth, oval carapace that ranges from olive to dark brown, often with darker mottling, and a hinged plastron that allows it to partially close its shell for protection. The head is relatively large with a blunt snout, and the skin is gray to brown, sometimes marked with lighter striping on the neck. Mostly aquatic but capable of moving over land during rains, this turtle is an opportunistic omnivore, feeding on insects, small aquatic animals, carrion, and plant material.

Mexican Mud Turtle

Kinosternon integrum

Diet

  • Omnivorous, feeding on aquatic insects, insect larvae, snails, freshwater shrimp, crayfish, worms, tadpoles, small fish, carrion, algae, aquatic plants, and seeds.

  • Juveniles consume proportionally more animal prey, while adults incorporate more plant material.

  • Forages mainly along the bottom of ponds and streams, using its keen sense of smell to locate food.

Range

  • Endemic to Mexico, where it is one of the country's most widespread freshwater turtles.

  • Found from Sonora and Chihuahua south through much of central and western Mexico, including Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, and Oaxaca.

  • Occurs throughout suitable freshwater habitats in the Zihuatanejo region.

  • Found from sea level to approximately 2,300 m (7,500 ft).

Habitat

  • Inhabits ponds, marshes, lakes, slow-moving rivers, streams, irrigation canals, reservoirs, seasonal pools, and cattle ponds.

  • Prefers shallow water with muddy bottoms and abundant aquatic vegetation.

  • During prolonged dry periods, it may estivate, burying itself in mud or leaf litter until rains return.

Size

  • Carapace length: 12–18 cm (4.7–7.1 in)

  • Weight: 250–700 g, with females generally larger than males.

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