Scorpion mud turtle
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| Scorpion mud turtle | |
|---|---|
| File:Kinosternon scorpioides cruentatum 416917698.jpg | |
| Red-cheeked mud turtle (K. s. cruentatum), in Quintana Roo, Mexico | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Cryptodira |
| Family: | Kinosternidae |
| Genus: | Kinosternon |
| Species: | K. scorpioides
|
| Binomial name | |
| Kinosternon scorpioides (Linnaeus, 1766)
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
List (K. s. scorpioides)
(K. s. albogulare)
(K. s. cruentatum)
| |
The scorpion mud turtle or Tabasco mud turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides) is a species of mud turtle in the family Kinosternidae. It is found in Mexico, Central and South America.
Description
[edit | edit source]The scorpion mud turtle is a medium to large kinosternid (mud turtle) with a domed, oval upper shell 92–270 mm (3.6–10.6 in) long. Males regularly exceed 200 mm. The scorpion mud turtle is a highly aquatic, adaptable kinosternid that will live in almost any body of water.
Subspecies
[edit | edit source]| Subspecies | Common name | Image |
|---|---|---|
| K. s. scorpioides
(Linnaeus, 1766) |
Scorpion mud turtle | File:Kinosternon scorpioides scorpioides 64675451.jpg
In Bolívar, Colombia |
| K. s. albogulare
(Duméril and Bibron, 1870) |
White-throated mud turtle | File:Kinosternon scorpioides ssp. albogulare.jpg
In San Andrés, Colombia |
| K. s. cruentatum | Red-cheeked mud turtle | File:Kinosternon scorpioides Scorpion Mud Turtle, Tamaulipas.jpg
In southern Tamaulipas, Mexico |
Diet
[edit | edit source]
It is primarily omnicarnivorous, a glutton, and feeds on a wide variety of aquatic invertebrates (such as insects and their larvae, spiders, shrimp, crabs, snails and worms) and vertebrates (such as fish and frogs), as well as carrion and bird eggshells.[2]
It also feeds on plant material such as algae, fruits, flowers, nuts, seeds and aquatic plants.[2][3]
In captivity, poorly fed K. scorpioides can be cannibalistic, biting off the toes and limbs of conspecifics.[citation needed]
Reproduction and habitat
[edit | edit source]Females probably lay 1 to 6 hard-shelled eggs. Like many kinosternids, they probably construct a shallow terrestrial nest with little cover.[4]
Gallery
[edit | edit source]-
K. s. scorpioides, Bolívar, Colombia
-
1 year old captive K. s. cruentatum
-
La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica
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Aluxes Ecopark, Chiapas, Mexico
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K. s. cruentatum plastron, Tamaulipas, Mexico
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Plastron, in Campeche, Mexico
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Plastron, in Panama
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Plastron, in Puntarenas, Costa Rica
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References
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- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Linnaeus, 1766 : Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio duodecima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, Holmiae, p. 1–532.
- Pritchard, P. C. H. 1979. Encyclopedia of Turtles. T.F.H. Publications, Inc., Neptune, New Jersey. 895 pp.
- Pritchard, P. C. H., and P. Trebbau. 1984. The Turtles of Venezuela. Contributions to Herpetology 2. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Ithaca. 403 pp., 47 plates, 16 maps.
External links
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