Kinosternidae

Kinosternidae
Common musk turtle Sternotherus odoratus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Kinosternoidea
Family:	Kinosternidae Agassiz, 1857
Genera
Kinosternon Sternotherus Claudius Staurotypus

Kinosternidae is a family of mostly small turtles that includes the mud turtles and musk turtles. The family Kinosternidae contains 25 species within 4 genera, but taxonomic reclassification is an ongoing process so many sources vary on the exact numbers of species and subspecies. They inhabit slow-moving bodies of water, often with soft, muddy bottoms and abundant vegetation.

Description

Most kinosternids are small turtles, 10–15 cm (4-6 inches) in carapace length. The highly domed carapace has a distinct keel down its center. The genus Staurotypus gets much larger, to 30 cm (12 inches). Females are generally larger than males, but males have much longer tails. Kinosternids can be black, brown, green, or yellowish in color. Most species do not have shell markings, but some species have radiating black markings on each carapace scute. Some species have distinctive yellow striping along the sides of the head and neck.

The musk turtles are so named because they are capable of releasing a foul smelling musk from glands under the rear of their shell when disturbed. They are native to North and South America.

Diet

All members of the family are carnivorous, feeding on crustaceans, aquatic insects, mollusks, annelids, amphibians, small fish, and sometimes carrion.

Reproduction

Kinosternids lay approximately four hard-shelled eggs during the late spring and early summer. After hatching, some species overwinter in the subterranean nest, emerging the following spring. Some adults also spend the winter on land, constructing a burrow with a small air hole that is used on warm days.

Kinosternids contain the only species of turtle known, or at least suspected, to exhibit parental care. Studies of the yellow mud turtle in Nebraska, USA, suggest females sometimes stay with the nest and may urinate on the eggs long after laying, to either keep them moist or to protect them from snake predation (by making them less palatable).

Taxonomy

Red-cheeked mud turtle, Kinosternon scorpioides cruentatum

Mississippi mud turtle, Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis

Razorback musk turtle, Sternotherus carinatus

Striped mud turtle, Kinosternon baurii

Family KINOSTERNIDAE

• Subfamily Kinosterninae
  • Genus Kinosternon
    • Tabasco mud turtle - Kinosternon acutum Gray, 1831
    • Alamos mud turtle - Kinosternon alamosae Berry & Legler, 1980
    • Central American mud turtle - Kinosternon angustipons Legler, 1965
    • Arizona mud turtle - Kinosternon arizonense Gilmore, 1923
    • Striped mud turtle - Kinosternon baurii (Garman, 1891)
    • Jalisco mud turtle - Kinosternon chimalhuaca Berry, Seidel, & Iverson, 1996
    • Creaser's mud turtle - Kinosternon creaseri Hartweg, 1934
    • Dunn's mud turtle - Kinosternon dunni Schmidt, 1947
    • Durango mud turtle - Kinosternon durangoense Iverson, 1979
    • Yellow mud turtle - Kinosternon flavescens (Agassiz, 1857)
    • Herrara's mud turtle - Kinosternon herrerai Stejneger, 1925
    • Mexican mud turtle - Kinosternon hirtipes (Wagler, 1830))
      • Valley of Mexico mud turtle - Kinosternon hirtipes hirtipes (Wagler, 1830)
      • Lake Chapala mud turtle - Kinosternon hirtipes chapalaense (Iverson, 1981)
      • San Juanico mud turtle - Kinosternon hirtipes magdalense (Iverson, 1981)
      • Viesca mud turtle - Kinosternon hirtipes megacephalum (Extinct) (Iverson, 1981)
      • Mexican plateau mud turtle - Kinosternon hirtipes murrayi (Glass and Hartweg, 1951)
      • Patzcuarco mud turtle - Kinosternon hirtipes tarascense (Inverson, 1981)
    • Guanajuato mud turtle - Kinosternon integrum (LeConte, 1954)
    • White-lipped mud turtle - Kinosternon leucostomum Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1851
      • Northern white-lipped mud turtle - Kinosternon leucostomum leucostomum Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1851
      • Southern white-lipped mud turtle - Kinosternon leucostomum postinguinale (Cope, 1887)
    • Oaxaca mud turtle - Kinosternon oaxacae Berry & Iverson, 1980
    • Scorpion mud turtle - Kinosternon scorpioides (Linnaeus, 1766)
      • Scorpion mud turtle (subspecies) - Kinosternon scorpioides scorpioides (Linnaeus, 1766)
      • Central Chiapas mud turtle - Kinosternon scorpioides abaxillare (Baur, 1925)
      • White-throated mud turtle - Kinosternon scorpioides albogulare (Duméril and Bibron, 1870)
      • Red-cheeked mud turtle - Kinosternon scorpioides cruentatum (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1851)
    • Sonora mud turtle - Kinosternon sonoriense (Le Conte, 1854)
      • Sonora mud turtle (subspecies) - Kinosternon sonoriense sonoriense (Le Conte, 1854)
      • Sonoyta mud turtle - Kinosternon sonoriense longifemorale (Inverson, 1981)
    • Eastern mud turtle - Kinosternon subrubrum (Bonnaterre, 1789)
      • Eastern mud turtle (subspecies) - Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum (Bonnaterre, 1789)
      • Mississippi mud turtle - Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis (Bonnaterre, 1789)
      • Florida mud turtle - Kinosternon subrubrum steindachneri (Siebenrock,1906)
  • Genus Sternotherus
    • Razorback musk turtle, Sternotherus carinatus (Gray, 1855)
    • Flattened musk turtle, Sternotherus depressus (Tinkle & Webb, 1955)
    • Loggerhead musk turtle, Sternotherus minor (Agassiz, 1857)
    • Common musk turtle or Stinkpot, Sternotherus odoratus (Sonnini & Latreille, 1802)
• Subfamily Staurotypinae
  • Genus Claudius
    • Narrow-bridged musk turtle, Claudius angustatus Cope, 1865
  • Genus Staurotypus
    • Chiapas giant musk turtle, Staurotypus salvinii Gray, 1864
    • Mexican giant musk turtle, Staurotypus triporcatus (Wiegmann, 1828)

References

• Animal Diversity Web: Family Kinosternidae, by Keith Pecor

Bibliography

• Rhodin, Anders G.J.; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Inverson, John B.; Shaffer, H. Bradley (2010-12-14). "Turtles of the world, 2010 update: Annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status". Chelonian Research Monographs 5. Archived from the original on 2010-12-15. http://www.webcitation.org/5uzfktoIh. 

External links

• Family kinosternidae