Eastern mud turtle

Mud turtles ([[genus]] ''[[Kinosternon]]'') are fresh water turtles that are found in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States.{{Cite journal | doi=10.1643/ch-08-037 | title=Terrestrial Activity and Habitat Selection of Eastern Mud Turtles (Kinosternon subrubrum) in a Fragmented Landscape: Implications for Habitat Management of Golf Courses and Other Suburban Environments | year=2009 | last1=Harden | first1=Leighanne | last2=Price | first2=Stevenj. | last3=Dorcas | first3=Michaele. | journal=Copeia | volume=2009 | pages=78–84 | s2cid=86634007 }} They live in rivers, lakes and swamps. Mud turtles prefer ponds that have a lot of vegetation. These animals can generally be found in spring-fed streams, and they prefer clean, oxygenated water. The Eastern mud turtle rarely basks, but in the instance they do, they will bask on rocks or debris floating on the surface of the water.{{Cite web |last=Plowman |first=Bianca |title=Kinosternon subrubrum (Eastern Mud Turtle, Common Mud Turtle) |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Kinosternon_subrubrum/ |access-date=2022-04-29 |website=Animal Diversity Web}} In the wild, they also prefer sandy and muddy areas, as they will hibernate by burrowing into the mud. The Eastern Mud Turtle prefers hibernacula sites about 70 meters from wetlands and that have a large amount of leaf and pine litter and not too much tree cover. They will burrow at the wetland edges at a minimum depth of 1.3 cm below the soil surface to a maximum depth of 3 cm. The leaf litter helps to keep the soil moisture and the temperature consistent, while a more open canopy exposes turtles to higher temperatures before emergence.{{Cite journal |last1=Steen |first1=David A. |last2=Sterrett |first2=Sean C. |last3=Miller |first3=Shannan A. |last4=Smith |first4=Lora L. |date=September 2007 |title=Terrestrial Movements and Microhabitat Selection of Overwintering Subadult Eastern Mud Turtles (Kinosternon Subrubrum) in Southwest Georgia |url=https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-herpetology/volume-41/issue-3/0022-1511_2007_41_532_TMAMSO_2.0.CO_2/Terrestrial-Movements-and-Microhabitat-Selection-of-Overwintering-Subadult-Eastern-Mud/10.1670/0022-1511(2007)41[532:TMAMSO]2.0.CO;2.full |journal=Journal of Herpetology |volume=41 |issue=3 |pages=532–535 |doi=10.1670/0022-1511(2007)41[532:TMAMSO]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=86453610 |issn=0022-1511|url-access=subscription }}

Mud turtles ([[genus]] ''[[Kinosternon]]'') are fresh water turtles that are found in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States.{{Cite journal | doi=10.1643/ch-08-037 | title=Terrestrial Activity and Habitat Selection of Eastern Mud Turtles (Kinosternon subrubrum) in a Fragmented Landscape: Implications for Habitat Management of Golf Courses and Other Suburban Environments | year=2009 | last1=Harden | first1=Leighanne | last2=Price | first2=Stevenj. | last3=Dorcas | first3=Michaele. | journal=Copeia | volume=2009 | pages=78–84 | s2cid=86634007 }} They live in rivers, lakes and swamps. Mud turtles prefer ponds that have a lot of vegetation. These animals can generally be found in spring-fed streams, and they prefer clean, oxygenated water. The Eastern mud turtle rarely basks, but in the instance they do, they will bask on rocks or debris floating on the surface of the water.{{Cite web |last=Plowman |first=Bianca |title=Kinosternon subrubrum (Eastern Mud Turtle, Common Mud Turtle) |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Kinosternon_subrubrum/ |access-date=2022-04-29 |website=Animal Diversity Web}} In the wild, they also prefer sandy and muddy areas, as they will hibernate by burrowing into the mud. The Eastern Mud Turtle prefers hibernacula sites about 70 meters from wetlands and that have a large amount of leaf and pine litter and not too much tree cover. They will burrow at the wetland edges at a minimum depth of 1.3 cm below the soil surface to a maximum depth of 3 cm. The leaf litter helps to keep the soil moisture and the temperature consistent, while a more open canopy exposes turtles to higher temperatures before emergence.{{Cite journal |last1=Steen |first1=David A. |last2=Sterrett |first2=Sean C. |last3=Miller |first3=Shannan A. |last4=Smith |first4=Lora L. |date=September 2007 |title=Terrestrial Movements and Microhabitat Selection of Overwintering Subadult Eastern Mud Turtles (Kinosternon Subrubrum) in Southwest Georgia |url=https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-herpetology/volume-41/issue-3/0022-1511_2007_41_532_TMAMSO_2.0.CO_2/Terrestrial-Movements-and-Microhabitat-Selection-of-Overwintering-Subadult-Eastern-Mud/10.1670/0022-1511(2007)41[532:TMAMSO]2.0.CO;2.full |journal=Journal of Herpetology |volume=41 |issue=3 |pages=532–535 |doi=10.1670/0022-1511(2007)41[532:TMAMSO]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=86453610 |issn=0022-1511|url-access=subscription }}

Mud turtles can tolerate brackish water so they may be found near salt marshes and on coastal islands. They can also persist in degraded or polluted habitats despite contamination. {{Cite journal |last=Cochran |first=Jarad P. |last2=Haskins |first2=David L. |last3=Eady |first3=Naya A. |last4=Hamilton |first4=Matthew T. |last5=Pilgrim |first5=Melissa A. |last6=Tuberville |first6=Tracey D. |date=2018-12-01 |title=Coal combustion residues and their effects on trace element accumulation and health indices of eastern mud turtles (Kinosternon subrubrum) |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026974911831145X |journal=Environmental Pollution |volume=243 |pages=346–353 |doi=10.1016/j.envpol.2018.08.035 |issn=0269-7491}}

Mud turtles can tolerate brackish water so they may be found near salt marshes and on coastal islands.

==Reproduction==

==Reproduction==