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.
| Scorpion mud turtle | |
|---|---|
| |
| Red-cheeked mud turtle (K. s. cruentatum), in Quintana Roo, Mexico | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| 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] | |
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List (K. s. scorpioides)
(K. s. albogulare)
(K. s. cruentatum)
| |
Description
editThe 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.
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K. s. scorpioides, Bolívar, Colombia -
1 year old captive K. s. cruentatum -
La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica -
Aluxes Ecopark, Chiapas, Mexico -
K. s. cruentatum plastron, Tamaulipas, Mexico -
Plastron, in Campeche, Mexico -
Plastron, in Panama -
Plastron, in Puntarenas, Costa Rica
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Diet
edit
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
editFemales probably lay 1 to 6 hard-shelled eggs. Like many kinosternids, they probably construct a shallow terrestrial nest with little cover.[4]
Subspecies
edit- Scorpion mud turtle (subspecies) – Kinosternon scorpioides scorpioides (Linnaeus, 1766)
- White-throated mud turtle – Kinosternon scorpioides albogulare (Duméril and Bibron, 1870)
- Red-cheeked mud turtle – Kinosternon scorpioides cruentatum (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1851)
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K. s. albogulare, San Andrés, Colombia -
K. s. scorpioides, Bolívar, Colombia -
K. s. cruentatum, southern Tamaulipas, Mexico
References
edit- ^ Fritz Uwe; Peter Havaš (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World". Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 255–258. doi:10.3897/vz.57.e30895. ISSN 1864-5755. S2CID 87809001.
- ^ a b "Kinosternon scorpioides (Scorpion Mud Turtle)" (PDF). Sta.uwi.edu. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ^ "Scorpion Mud Turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides)".
- ^ "Kinosternon scorpiodes (Linnaeus, 1766)". U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior. Archived from the original on May 9, 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
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.