Scorpion mud turtle

The scorpion mud turtle or Tabasco mud turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides) is a species of mud turtle in the family Kinosternidae. It is found in Mexico, Central and South America.

Scorpion mud turtle
Red-cheeked mud turtle (K. s. cruentatum), in Quintana Roo, Mexico
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Kinosternidae
Genus:	Kinosternon
Species:	K. scorpioides
Binomial name
Kinosternon scorpioides (Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms[1]
List (K. s. scorpioides) Testudo scorpioides Linnaeus, 1766 Testudo tricarinata Retzius, 1792 Testudo retzii Daudin, 1801 Emys retzii Schweigger, 1812 Emys scorpioidea Schweigger, 1812 (ex errore) Emys scorpioides Oken, 1816 Chersine scorpioides Merrem, 1820 Terrapene tricarinata Merrem, 1820 Kinosternon brevicaudatum Spix, 1824 Kinosternon longicaudatum Spix, 1824 Kinosternon shavianum Bell, 1825 Terrapene retzii Fitzinger, 1826 Terrapene scorpioidea Fitzinger, 1826 Cinosternon brevicaudatum Wagler, 1830 Cinosternon longicaudatum Wagler, 1830 Cinosternon scorpioidea Wagler, 1830 Cinosternon shavianum Wagler, 1830 Clemmys tricarinata Wagler, 1830 Emys (Kinosternon) scorpoides Gray, 1831 (ex errore) Kinosternon scorpioides Gray, 1831 Monoclida retziana Rafinesque, 1832 Uronyx scorpioides Rafinesque, 1832 Cinosternon scorpioidei Wagler, 1833 (ex errore) Cinosternon scorpioideum Wagler, 1833 (ex errore) Terrapene scorpioides Schinz, 1833 Cinosternon scorpioides Duméril & Bibron, 1835 Kinosternon shawianum Duméril & Bibron, 1835 (ex errore) Clemmys (Cinosternon) scorpioidea Fitzinger, 1835 Kinosternon scorpoides Gray, 1844 Kinosternon (Swanka) scorpiodes Gray, 1844 (ex errore) Kinosternum brevicaudatum LeConte, 1854 Kinosternum longicaudatum LeConte, 1854 Kinosternum scorpioides LeConte, 1854 Cinosternum brevicaudatum Agassiz, 1857 Cinosternum longicaudatum Agassiz, 1857 Cinosternum scorpioides Agassiz, 1857 Cinosternum shavianum Agassiz, 1857 Thyrosternum longecaudatum LeConte, 1859 (ex errore) Thyrosternum scorpioides LeConte, 1859 Swanka scorpoides Gray, 1869 Swanka longicaudata Gray, 1870 Swanka scorpioides Gray, 1872 Cinosternon shawianum Bocourt, 1876 Ciniosternon shawianum Sumichrast, 1880 Cinosternum shawianum Sumichrast, 1882 Thyrosternum shavianum Garman, 1884 Cinosternum shawanianum Velasco, 1892 (ex errore) Cinosternum scorpioides scorpioides Siebenrock, 1907 Kinosternon scorpioides pachyurum Müller & Hellmich, 1936 Kinosternon scorpioides seriei Freiberg, 1936 Kinosternon panamensis Schmidt, 1946 Kinosternon scorpioides panamense Mertens & Wermuth, 1955 (ex errore) Kinosternon scorpioides scorpioides Mertens & Wermuth, 1955 Kinosternon scorpioides pachyrum Wermuth & Mertens, 1977 (ex errore) Kinosternon scorpioides serei Iverson, 1986 (ex errore) Kinosternon scorpioides serieli Gosławski & Hryniewicz, 1993 (ex errore) Kinosternon scorpioides carajanensis Rogner, 1996 (ex errore) (K. s. albogulare) Cinosternon albogulare Duméril & Bocourt, 1870 Cinosternum albogulare Cope, 1875 Kinosternon cruentatum albogulare Wettstein, 1934 Kinosternon scorpioides albogulare Dunn & Saxe, 1950 (K. s. cruentatum) Cinosternon cruentatum Duméril & Bibron, 1851 Kinosternum cruentatum LeConte, 1854 Kinosternum mexicanum LeConte, 1854 Kinosternon cruentatum Gray, 1856 Cinosternum cruentatum Agassiz, 1857 Cinosternum mexicanum Agassiz, 1857 Kinosternum triliratum LeConte, 1860 Cinosternon mexicanum Strauch, 1862 Cinosternon triliratum Strauch, 1862 Kinosternon mexicanum Müller, 1865 Swanka cruentata Gray, 1870 Swanka mexicana Gray, 1870 Swanka trilirata Gray, 1870 Thyrosternum cruentatum Garman, 1884 Cinosternum triliratum Günther, 1885 Kinosternon cruentatum cruentatum Schmidt, 1941 Kinosternon cruentatum consors Stejneger, 1941 Kinosternon crenulatum Pearse, 1945 (ex errore) Kinosternon scorpioides cruentatum Berry, 1979 Kinosternon cruentatum consor Obst, 1996 (ex errore)

Description

The scorpion mud turtle is a medium to large kinosternid (mud turtle) with a domed, oval upper shell 92–270 mm (3.6–10.6 in) long. Males regularly exceed 200 mm. The scorpion mud turtle is a highly aquatic, adaptable kinosternid that will live in almost any body of water.

Subspecies

Subspecies	Common name	Image
K. s. scorpioides (Linnaeus, 1766)	Scorpion mud turtle	In Bolívar, Colombia
K. s. albogulare (Duméril and Bibron, 1870)	White-throated mud turtle	In San Andrés, Colombia
K. s. cruentatum (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1851)	Red-cheeked mud turtle	In southern Tamaulipas, Mexico

Diet

Showing head markings.

It is primarily omnicarnivorous, a glutton, and feeds on a wide variety of aquatic invertebrates (such as insects and their larvae, spiders, shrimp, crabs, snails and worms) and vertebrates (such as fish and frogs), as well as carrion and bird eggshells.^[2]

It also feeds on plant material such as algae, fruits, flowers, nuts, seeds and aquatic plants.^[2][3]

In captivity, poorly fed K. scorpioides can be cannibalistic, biting off the toes and limbs of conspecifics.^{[citation needed]}

Reproduction and habitat

Females probably lay 1 to 6 hard-shelled eggs. Like many kinosternids, they probably construct a shallow terrestrial nest with little cover.^[4]

Gallery

• 
  K. s. scorpioides, Bolívar, Colombia
• 
  1 year old captive K. s. cruentatum
• 
  La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica
• 
  Aluxes Ecopark, Chiapas, Mexico
• 
  K. s. cruentatum plastron, Tamaulipas, Mexico
• 
  Plastron, in Campeche, Mexico
• 
  Plastron, in Panama
• 
  Plastron, in Puntarenas, Costa Rica