Arizona's WildLife

The Sonora mud turtle is a small freshwater turtle native to southern Arizona and northern Mexico, recognized by its dark brown, domed shell and aquatic adaptations. Primarily aquatic, these turtles spend much of the year buried in mud or hidden under vegetation, emerging during the wet season to feed and reproduce. Their diet includes insects, small fish, aquatic plants, and detritus, and they are most active in shallow streams, ponds, and temporary water bodies. Sonora mud turtles are secretive and slow-moving, relying on camouflage and burrowing to avoid predators. As a specialized species of arid and semi-arid waterways, they play an important ecological role by recycling organic matter and supporting the health of freshwater ecosystems