Identification
A subspecies of the Eastern
Mud Turtle, the Mississippi Mud Turtles’ defining characteristics
include a long double-hinged plastron and light stripes down each side of the
head. The keeless carapace is yellowish to black in coloration lacks any pattern.
The plastron can be yellowish to brown, and can sometimes be marked with a dark
pattern. The chin and throat are a yellowish grey, and are typically streaked
and mottled with brown. The limbs and tail are grayish. The Mississippi Mud
Turtles’ eye, or iris, is yellow with dark clouding, and its feet are
webbed.
Distribution and Status
The Mississippi Mud Turtle ranges naturally from southeast Missouri south to
the Gulf and west to central Texas. The only Midwestern state that is home to
this turtle is Missouri. (US
distribution map; Midwest
distribution map).
Ecology
This turtle is often found in bayous, lagoons, and swamps in the lower Mississippi
Valley.
Threats and Management Issues
Like all other turtle species, the greatest threat to the Mississippi Mud Turtle
comes from Humans in the form of habitat loss, via wetland drainage, and pollution.
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