Kinosternon scorpioides cruentatum
DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1851
Yucatán, Mexico. June 24, 2017.
My 2017 visit to the Yucatán peninsula was a good one for turtles, perhaps in part because of all the rainfall during my time there. This mud turtle was found crossing a two-lane road south of Piste, which is close to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza. As per usual with kinosternids, photographing them can be tough – if they don’t retreat into their shell, they run like hell. I put the turtle in an appropriate spot, retreated a dozen feet, and took zoom shots when it finally poked its nose out. Kinosternon scorpioides ranges from southern Mexico through the northern half of South America, and there are four recognized subspecies.
My Flickr album for this species is here.
HerpMapper records for this species are here.
