Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey Guys,

I am relatively inexperienced at IDing mud and musk turtles and was wondering if anyone here could help me ID what I have here. I picked it up off the road SW of Ft. Worth TX and took these quick shots before releasing it back at the same location. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks
Chris

That is a yellow mud turtle (Kinosternon flavescens). It's easy to tell muds from musks by looking at the plastron: Kinosternon have a large plastron with two hinges and triangular pectoral scutes (the scutes in front of the anterior hinge), so the seams around the pectorals form a 'K' shape. Sternotherus have a smaller palstron with only one hinge and quadrangular pectoral scutes. They also tend to show a lot of soft skin along the seams of the plastral scutes.

K. flavescens and the Mississippi mud (K. subrubrum hippocrepis) both occur in east Texas. The Mississippi mud is darker over all and has light facial stripes like a stinkpot.

Thanks for the ID guys. I thought it was a yellow mud, but wasn't sure. Its the first mud I have found since moving to TX and I was just happy to find it alive. The snapper and red eared slider I passed shortly after did not make out so well.

Nice looking yellow mud turtle. A male at that.

here is one of my female yellows (kinosternon flavescens) I have 1.3