Anthony shares a video that highlights a special group of small turtles and the reward keepers so often work towards, their eggs. To learn more about this project, visit Anthony’s Striped Mud Turtle project page.
Basic Natural History of the Striped Mud Turtle
The Striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon baurii) is a small turtle, with males reaching 10.4 cm and females usually reaching 11.8 cm, with the record for this species being 12.5 cm. In captivity, the Striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon baurii) has been documented as reaching maturity as quickly as 23 months in males and 29 months in females. For wild females, maturity takes an estimated 5 to 6 years to achieve. They are easily identifiable by the three stripes that run down the carapace anteriorly, although some individuals lack the stripes. Longevity may exceed 50 years in captivity.
Striped Mud Turtles (Kinosternon baurii) occur along the Atlantic coast in Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, southeastern Alabama, and Florida. They inhabit a wide range of stagnant or slow moving freshwater bodies and have been found in brackish environments as well. Striped Mud Turtles (Kinosternon baurii) are much more terrestrial in their habits than one might imagine. They often travel long distances moving between habitats, searching for food, potential mates, nesting areas, or water after wetlands have dried out. In captivity, new caretakers to Striped Mud Turtles (Kinosternon baurii) often comment on their frequent basking as being surprising.
The Striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon baurii) is listed on the IUCN Red List as Least Concern, but the Florida Keys population is under serious pressure due to the development of private lands. Conservation efforts for the Key Deer is also a threat to these turtles, as the filling of mosquito ditches to protect the deer puts pressure on Striped Mud Turtles (Kinosternon baurii) on public lands.
