Identification
The Eastern Mud turtle is a small and often hard to identify species. The carapace
is keeless, lacks any pattern, and varies in color from yellowish to black.
The plastron is large and double hinged, and can be yellowish to brown, and
may sometimes have a dark pattern. The chin and throat are a yellowish grey,
streaked and mottled with brown, while the limbs and tail are grayish. The eye,
or iris, of the Eastern Mud Turtle is yellow with dark clouding and its feet
are webbed.
Distribution and Status
This species’ natural range is from Long Island, New York, south through
Florida to the Gulf Coast, across east-central Texas, north via the Mississippi
Valley to Missouri, southern Illinois and Indiana. Isolated populations are
also found in northwestern Indiana. In the Midwest, this turtle is currently
found only in Indiana, where it is listed as State Endangered, and in Illinois.
(US distribution
map; Midwest
distribution map).
Ecology
The Eastern Mud Turtle prefers shallow bodies of water and can often be found
on land. Wet meadows, ponds, marshes, and drainage ditches are ideal for this
species. The turtles can withstand brackish water well, and are also found on
the edges of tidal marshes, and on offshore islands.
Threats and Management Issues
A variety of animals eat the eggs and juveniles of this species. Humans further
threaten populations, killing many on roads and by destroying the turtle’s
habitat. Loss of habitat is largely a result of water pollution and wetland
drainage.
Resources
Ernst. C. H., J. E. Lovich and R. W. Barbour. 1994. Turtles of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, USA.
General reference guides and websites.
.
Bruce Kingsbury, Director
Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management
Science Building
Indiana-Purdue University
2101 East Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499