Scorpion mud turtle
| Scorpion mud turtle | |
|---|---|
| |
| Kinosternon scorpioides cruentatum | |
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 (Carl Linnaeus, 1766)
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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The Scorpion mud turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides) is a species of mud turtle in the Kinosternidae family. It is found in Mexico, Central America and South America. This turtle relatively is a medium to large kinosternid(mud turtle) with a domed, oval upper shell having a length of 92-270 mm (3.6-10.6 in). The males of this specie regularly exceed the size of 200 mm. The scorpion mud turtle is a highly aquatic, adaptable kinosternid that will live in almost any body of water (Pritchard and Trebbau, 1984; Ernst and Barbour, 1989; Alvarez del Toro, 1982; Berry and Iverson, 2001). This turtle is primarily omnicarnivorous, who is also a glutton, and is feeding on a wide variety of aquatic invertebrates and vertebrates, including carrion (Pritchard and Trebbau, 1984; Ernst and Barbour, 1989). In captivity, poorly fed K. scorpioides can be cannibalistic, biting off the toes and limbs of conspecifics (Pritchard and Trebbau, 1984). Females probably lay 1-6 hard-shelled eggs (Pritchard and Trebbau, 1984; Ernst and Barbour, 1989). Like many kinosternids they probably construct a shallow terrestrial nest with little cover (Pritchard and Trebbau, 1984).
Subspecies
- Scorpion mud turtle (subspecies) - Kinosternon scorpioides scorpioides (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Central Chiapas mud turtle - Kinosternon scorpioides abaxillare (Baur, 1925)
- White-throated mud turtle - Kinosternon scorpioides albogulare (Duméril and Bibron, 1870)
- Red-cheeked mud turtle - Kinosternon scorpioides cruentatum (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1851)
References
- ^ Fritz Uwe; Peter Havaš (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World" (PDF). Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 255–258. ISSN 1864-5755. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-17. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
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- 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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