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= Arizona Mud Turtle =

The Arizona mud turtle (Kinosternon arizonense) or Arizona yellow mud turtle (Kinosternon flavescens arizonense) is a species of mud turtle in the Kinosternidae family. It is considered a semi-aquatic turtle and is found in Desert of Arizona (United States) and Sonora (Mexico). It lives in impermanent puddle, and they avoid permanent rivers and lakes.

The male adult Arizona Mud Turtle is 103.0- 181.3 mm (4-7.5 in) long, and female Arizona mud turtle is slightly smaller than the male. The turtle's top shell is brown and olive brown with a dome shaped appearance. The skin is brown, dark silver on top, and light yellow on bottom of the head. There are no specific pattern or stripes on extremities.

The turtle's diet includes anurans, tadpoles, invertebrates and carrion. Arizona Mud Turtle is only active during the day. It is active at night during summer in search of food. During winter Arizona mud turtle will hibernates under the temporary puddle and pond.

The growth cycle begins in July and early August when the turtle starts laying eggs. Except habitat loss, Arizona mud turtle often faces decrease in population due to agriculture activity. Fortunately, due to lack of water in the desert agriculture activity is minimized.

Description
The male adult Arizona Mud Turtle is 103.0- 181.3 mm (4-7.5 in) long, and female Arizona mud turtle is 95.5-167.3mm (3.5-6.5 on) long. The turtle's body varies in color. The carapace (upper portion of the shell) is dome shaped and tends to be brown, olive or a yellow-brown in color. The carapace also lacks keels. The marginal shields, which can be described as the rim around the shell is yellow. In addition, the lower portion of the shell, also known as the plastron, is yellow as well. The superior of the head is grey in color, and the inferior and sides are cream light yellow. One thing that separates them from other species of turtles is that the first vertebral scute and first marginal scute do not connect.

Habitat and behavior
Arizona Mud turtles prefer temporary ponds and puddle because they will have a secured food source. The Arizona mud turtle's activity occurs during the day. It is often found near the temporary pond conserving hear from sunlight. It also is active at night but specifically in July and August in monsoon season. Because it is warm during this period, they tend to spend most of their time in the water, hence why they are known as semi aquatic. During the winter months, they hibernate in an underground burrow. When drought occurs, Arizona mud turtle can remain dormant underground for maximum of two years.

Distribution
Living in the lowland area, Arizona Mud Turtle usually lives between the elevation of 200-800m. The Arizona mud turtle can be located in the Lower Colorado River Sonoran Desertscrub, Arizona Upland Sonoran Desertscrub, and Semidesert Grassland communities.

Diet
Their diet consists of anurans, dytiscid, toads, tadpoles, fish, invertebrates, hydrophilid and carrion.

Live cycle
The female Arizona mud turtle lays three to seven eggs and breed primarily in July and early August. Arizona mud turtle does not have a special nesting habits, and it usually hatch and bury its eggs close to the food sources. Hatchlings are 25-28 mm carapace length. from 6 to 10 years age.

Major threats
The species is considered threatened, because there has been ranching, agriculture and flood control taking place in the Sonoran Desert. Establishing themselves in wetlands also exposes them to climate and habitat degradation. An adult Arizona mud turtle usually will survive these conditions, however. Road mortality is also likely to affect this species. On the positive side, the Arizona mud turtle adapts and benefits from pond reconstruction performed by humans.