Arizona mud turtle
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: Kinosternidae
Genus: Kinosternon
Species:
K. stejnegeri
Binomial name
Kinosternon stejnegeri
(Gilmore, 1923)
Synonyms[2]
  • Kinosternon arizonense Gilmore, 1922
  • Kinosternon flavescens stejnegeri Hartweg, 1938
  • Kinosternon arizonenese Iverson, 1978 (ex errore)
  • Kinosternon flavescens arizonense Iverson, 1979

The Arizona mud turtle (Kinosternon stejnegeri)[3] is a species of mud turtle in the family Kinosternidae found in the deserts of Arizona (United States)[4] and Sonora (Mexico). It is a semi-aquatic turtle.[5][6] It lives in impermanent puddles, and avoids permanent rivers and lakes.[7]

The male adult Arizona mud turtle is 103–181.3 mm (4.06–7.14 in) long, and the female is slightly smaller.[3] The turtle's top shell is brown and olive brown with a dome shaped appearance.[6] The skin is brown, dark silver on top, and light yellow on bottom of the head.[6] There are no patterns on the extremities.[6]

The turtle's diet includes frogs, tadpoles, invertebrates and carrion.[8] During winter the Arizona mud turtle hibernates under the temporary puddle and pond.[7]

The growth cycle begins in July and early August when the turtle starts laying eggs.[6]

Description

The male adult Arizona mud turtle is 103–181.3 mm (4.06–7.14 in) long, and the female is 95.5–167.3 mm (3.76–6.59 in) long.[7] The turtle's body varies in color. The carapace (upper portion of the shell) is dome shaped and tends to be brown, olive or a yellow-brown in color.[8][6] The carapace also lacks keels.[6] The marginal shield, which can be described as the rim around the shell, is yellow,[8] As is the lower portion of the shell, the plastron.[8] The top of the head is grey in color, and the bottom and sides are cream and light yellow.[6] Unlike other species of turtles, the first vertebral scute and second marginal shield do not connect.[8]

Habitat and behavior

Arizona mud turtles prefer temporary ponds and puddle because they will have a secure food source.[7] The Arizona mud turtle is active occurs during the day.[8] It is often found near the temporary pond to conserve heat and energy from sunlight.[6] It also is active at night in July and August in monsoon season. Because it is warm during this period, it spends most of its time in the water, and is therefore semi-aquatic.[8] During the winter, it hibernates in a burrow.[8] In droughts, the Arizona mud turtle can remain dormant underground for up to two years.[6]

Distribution

The Arizona mud turtle usually lives at elevations of 200–800 m (660–2,620 ft).[7] It is found in the Lower Colorado River Sonoran Desert scrub, Arizona Upland Sonoran Desert scrub, and Semidesert Grassland communities.[8]

Diet

The diet consists of anurans, dytiscid beetles, toads, tadpoles, fish, invertebrates, hydrophilid beetles and carrion.[8]

Life cycle

The Arizona mud turtle mates primarily in July and early August, and the female lays three to seven eggs.[6] The Arizona mud turtle usually buries its eggs close to food sources.[9] Hatchlings are usually 25–28 mm (0.98–1.10 in) carapace length and have life span from 6 to 10 years age.[1]

Major threats

The species is considered threatened due to ranching, agriculture and flood control in the Sonoran Desert.[1] Its wetlands habitat also exposes it to climate and habitat degradation.[1] Road mortality is also likely to affect this species.[1] The Arizona mud turtle benefits from pond construction performed by humans.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Frost, D.; Hammerson, G. & Gadsden, H. (2016) [errata version of 2007 assessment]. "Kinosternon arizonense". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2007: e.T63666A97379712. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63666A12694945.en.
  2. ↑ Fritz Uwe; Peter Havaš (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World" (PDF). Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 251. ISSN 1864-5755. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-01. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  3. 1 2 McCord, Robert D. (2016). "What is Kinosternon arizonense?". Historical Biology. 28:1-2 (1–2): 310–315. doi:10.1080/08912963.2015.1053879.
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ Rhodin, Anders G.J.; Inverson, John B.; Roger, Bour; Fritz, Uwe; Georges, Arthur; Shaffer, H. Bradley; van Dijk, Peter Paul (August 3, 2017). "Turtles of the world, 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status(8th Ed.)" (PDF). Chelonian Research Monographs. 7: 222. ISBN 978-1-5323-5026-9. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Arizona Mud Turtle - Tucson Herpetological Society". Tucson Herpetological Society. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Iverson, John B. (September 1989). The Arizona Mud Turtle, Kinosternon flavescens arizonense (Kinosternidae), in Arizona and Sonora. Southwestern Association of Naturalists. pp. 356–368.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Brennan, Thomas. "ARIZONA MUD TURTLE Kinosternon arizonense". Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  9. ↑ Ligon, Day B.; Peterson, Charles C. (September 2002). "Physiological and Behavioral Variation in Estivation among Mud Turtles (Kinosternon spp.)". Oklahoma State University: 283–293.

Serb, J.M., Phillips, C.A. and Iverson, J.B. 2001. Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of Kinosternon flavescens based on complete mitochondrial control region sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 18(1): 149-162

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