More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Turtles of Zihuatanejo
ORDER TESTUDINES
-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)
-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
Description
• Kinosternon integrum, commonly known as the Mexican mud turtle, is a freshwater turtle in the family Kinosternidae. It has a relatively small, oval, domed shell that is usually brown, olive, or grey, with a hinged plastron that allows it to partially close its shell for protection. Its head is relatively large, with a pointed snout, and its skin is typically greyish or brown. Adults generally measure around 12–18 cm in shell length.
Range
• This species is endemic to Mexico, occurring primarily along the Pacific slope from southern Sonora and Sinaloa south through western and central Mexico to Oaxaca. It is native to Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.
Habitat
• Kinosternon integrum inhabits freshwater and seasonally aquatic environments, including ponds, marshes, streams, reservoirs, and temporary pools. It is often associated with shallow, slow-moving or still water and muddy bottoms. During dry periods, individuals may shelter in mud or beneath leaf litter near water.
Diet
• The Mexican mud turtle is an opportunistic omnivore. It feeds on aquatic insects and their larvae, worms, crustaceans, molluscs, tadpoles, small fish, carrion, and some plant material. It forages mainly in shallow water and along muddy substrates.