Yellow Mud Turtle
Kinosternon flavescens
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassTestudines
- FamilyKinosternidae (American Mud and Musk Turtles)
- GenusKinosternon (Mud Turtles)
- SpeciesKinosternon flavescens (Yellow Mud Turtle)
About the Yellow Mud Turtle
The yellow mud turtle (Kinosternon flavescens), also commonly known as the yellow-necked mud turtle, is a species of mud turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species is endemic to the Central United States and Mexico.
Northeastern Mexico: Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. Midwestern and Southwestern United States: Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Its current presence is uncertain in Veracruz (Mexico) and Arkansas (United States).
The yellow mud turtle is a small, olive-colored turtle. Both the common name, yellow mud turtle, and the specific name, flavescens (Latin: yellow), refer to the yellow-colored areas on the throat, head, and sides of the neck. The bottom shell (plastron) is yellow to brown with two hinges, allowing the turtle to close each end separately. The male's tail has a blunt spine on the end, but the female's tail does not.
The yellow mud turtle can live for more than 40 years. Yellow mud turtles are omnivorous. Their diet includes worms, crayfish, frogs, snails, fish, fairy shrimp, slugs, leeches, tadpoles, and other aquatic... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Yellow Mud Turtle in Big Bend National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Yellow Mud Turtle in Big Bend National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow Mud Turtle sighting in Big Bend National Park, based on 52 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Yellow Mud Turtle in Big Bend National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Yellow Mud Turtle in Big Bend National Park in our monthly data.