Eastern Mud Turtle - Kinosternon subrubrum

Although the Eastern Mud Turtle has no major distinguishing field marks, it is the only mud turtle in this range. Its carapace will be smooth with a shade of brown, varying from an olive horn color to near black. It's head will be spotted, mottled, or irregularly streaked with yellow. Its plastron will be large and double hinged, being yellowish brown or perhaps heavily marked with black or brown. Like the Musk turtle, the mud turtle may exhibit a musky smell, also mind the jaw and short temper (Conant and Collins 152-153).

External Links

Savannah River Ecology Lab

Wikipedia

References

Conant and Joseph T. Collins. A Field Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians: Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998.

Image: J.D. Wilson