Kinosternidae
From Freepedia
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Kinosternidae is a family of small turtles that includes the Mud and Musk turtles. The Musk turtles release a foul smelling musk when disturbed, hence the common name. They are native to North and South America.
The family Kinosternidae contains 22-23 species within either three or four genera, depending on the source. They inhabit slow-moving bodies of water, often with soft bottoms and abundant vegetation.
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).
All members of the family are carnivores, feeding on crustaceans, aquatic insects, mollusks, annelids, amphibians, and small fish.
Classification
Family Kinosternidae
- Subfamily Kinosterninae
- Genus Kinosternon
- Genus Sternotherus
- Subfamily Staurotypinae
- Genus Claudius (biology)
- Genus Staurotypus
