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Yellow Mud Turtle

Kinosternon flavescens

Photo by AshleyT
Published on Project Noah
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27.5064, -99.5075

Field Notes

Description:

They are a small turtle, and the shell and skin are a yellow-brown turtle. This gal was covered in dirt, then I tried to wash her off so that's why she is wet. When they get wet, they get incredibly stinky! It is not pleasant haha.

Habitat:

Found in freshwater in the central US and Mexico. This one was found wedged, face down between two logs. Pretty sure we saved her life!

Notes:

We took a bit of blood for DNA research, then released her back to the pond we found her nearby.

Reference Links:

Yellow mud turtle

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (2)
AshleyT
Thanks Neil! I haven't done much turtle stuff, and this was my first mud turtle. She was just fine when she was dry, but as soon as I got her wet to try and clean her off, the smell was just awful! Very cute little face on her though :)
NeilDazet
Nice series Ashley. I'm a big fan of the Kinosternids. When I was getting my MS at Missouri State, several grad students in Don Moll's turtle lab were studying the function of the musk secretions of Sternotherus odoratus. My studies looked at predator deterrence/attraction. I know that smell you are referring to very well! :-)

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Wildlife of the Rio Grande Valley
Mission
Herps of Texas
Photographed
PublishedMarch 25, 2013

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