Sick mud turtles usually try to hide their illness and might not show obvious symptoms until their illness is fairly advanced. However, recognizing healthy behaviors such as regular basking, appetite and activity level makes it easier to notice when something might be slightly wrong. Catching illnesses early improves the prognosis in nearly every disease or [...]
In size mud turtles grow up to 5 inches (12.7cm), with the male being slightly smaller than the female in most species of mud turtle. He is also distinguished by a longer tail and a larger head. An interesting feature of the mud turtle is its plastron, which is double-hinged. This allows the mud turtle [...]
Mud turtles inhabit the slow moving waters of the temperate zone of the United States, Africa, and other countries. They thrive in shallow waters with sandy or muddy bottoms, which contain worms, slugs, snails, crayfish, small fish, tadpoles, crabs and other small water and land animals and insects. Being omnivores they are not limited to [...]
As with most reptiles, mud turtles and other turtle species have been on earth a long time. There have been recorded fossil findings in the southern United States dating back over five million years. They are scientifically classified as Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Reptilia, Order: Testudinata, and Families: Kinosternidae and Pelomedusidae. This generally indicates [...]
The mud turtles are interesting creatures that inhabits mostly fresh to brackish water (that has a salt content that is less than the salt content of sea water) and is semi-aquatic. Their time that is not spent directly in the water, is usually spent close to the water in muddy areas, hence the name. They [...]
