Yellow Mud TurtleMUD TURTLE (Kinosternon subrubrum)
Yellow Mud Turtle
WHAT DOES A MUD TURTLE LOOK LIKE? Florida mud turtles have green or dark brown smooth shells with no patterns on them. They are small turtles, only 3 to 5 inches long, and eat tadpoles, worms, insects, and plants.
WHERE DO MUD TURTLES LIVE? They live in fresh or partly salty water. They also like muddy, shallow ponds and marshes with lots of plants. These turtles are most active during the warm, wet summer months. If their pond dries up, they will burrow into the mud or walk overland to find another pond. Many times when they are out looking for a place to live, they are hit by cars. In the wintertime, they may bury themselves under the mud or under leaves in the forest to stay warm.
WHAT ABOUT BABY TURTLES? Mud turtles will lay 1 to 6 eggs in a hole they dig in sand or under grass and leaves. Sometimes, they will even lay their eggs in an alligator nest or muskrat hole. After the mother lays her eggs, she leaves, and the babies must take care of themselves when they hatch.
RESOURCES:
Behler, John L. And F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles & Amphibians. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1992.
Conant, Roger and Joseph Williams. Reptiles and Amphibians. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1991.
Provided by the E. Dale Joyner Nature Preserve at Pelotes Island
JEA ** St. Johns River Power Park** FPL
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