Arizona mud turtle - Misplaced Pages

Species of turtle This article is about extant species of mud turtle. For the extinct species of mud turtle, see Kinosternon arizonense.

Arizona mud turtle

Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific 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
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) is a species of mud turtle in the family Kinosternidae found in the deserts of Arizona (United States) and Sonora (Mexico). It is a semi-aquatic turtle. It lives in impermanent puddles, and avoids permanent rivers and lakes.

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

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

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

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. 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. The carapace also lacks keels. The marginal shield, which can be described as the rim around the shell, is yellow, As is the lower portion of the shell, the plastron. The top of the head is grey in color, and the bottom and sides are cream and light yellow. Unlike other species of turtles, the first vertebral scute and second marginal shield do not connect.

Habitat and behavior

Arizona mud turtles prefer temporary ponds and puddle because they will have a secure food source. The Arizona mud turtle is active occurs during the day. It is often found near the temporary pond to conserve heat and energy from sunlight. 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. During the winter, it hibernates in a burrow. In droughts, the Arizona mud turtle can remain dormant underground for up to two years.

Distribution

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

Diet

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

Life cycle

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

Major threats

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

References

^ Frost, D.; Hammerson, G. & Gadsden, H. (2016) . "Kinosternon arizonense". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2007: e.T63666A97379712. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63666A12694945.en.
Fritz Uwe; Peter Havaš (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 251. doi:10.3897/vz.57.e30895. ISSN 1864-5755.
^ "Kinosternon stejnegeri". NatureServe Explorer An online encyclopedia of life. 7.1. NatureServe. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
^ McCord, Robert D. (2016). "What is Kinosternon arizonense?". Historical Biology. 28:1-2 (1–2): 310–315. Bibcode:2016HBio...28..310M. doi:10.1080/08912963.2015.1053879. S2CID 85572922.
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.
^ "Arizona Mud Turtle - Tucson Herpetological Society". Tucson Herpetological Society. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
^ Iverson, John B. (September 1989). The Arizona Mud Turtle, Kinosternon flavescens arizonense (Kinosternidae), in Arizona and Sonora. Southwestern Association of Naturalists. pp. 356–368.
^ Brennan, Thomas. "ARIZONA MUD TURTLE Kinosternon arizonense". Retrieved 10 August 2013.
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

Kinosternidae family

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Kinosternoidea
Family: Kinosternidae

Genera

Species of the Kinosternidae family

Claudius

Narrow-bridged musk turtle

†Hoplochelys

†Hoplochelys clark

Kinosternon

Sternotherus

Staurotypus

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. Key: †=extinct.

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Diapsida
Order: Testudines

Genus

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra

	†Caribemys †Caririemys †Tacuarembemys

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

See also List of Testudines families

Taxon identifiers
Kinosternon stejnegeri	Wikidata: Q84953574 Wikispecies: Kinosternon stejnegeri CoL: 8GPWN GBIF: 11191169 NCBI: 2268911
Kinosternon arizonense	Wikidata: Q2713760 Wikispecies: Kinosternon arizonense BOLD: 253623 EoL: 1242134 GBIF: 2442439 iNaturalist: 73837 IRMNG: 10803708 ITIS: 668672 IUCN: 63666 NatureServe: 2.104044 NCBI: 142481 Paleobiology Database: 118952 RD: stejnegeri

Categories: