Throughout Hicatee Awareness Month, every Tuesday, we’ll be highlighting one of the Belizean turtles featured in the Hicatee & Friends coloring book, created by our partners, the Belize Foundation for Research & Environmental Education (BFREE), to raise awareness on the plight of Belize’s native turtle species in need of conservation action.
Today is the final #TurtleTuesday of our Hicatee Month celebration—meet the Atlantic Red-cheeked Mud Turtle (Kinosternon cruentatum)!
This species was formerly classified as a subspecies of Scorpion Mud Turtle. But, in 2024, research revealed that it was its own species. There is another species that bears the name Scorpion Mud Turtle (Kinosternon scorpiodes), but the 2024 reclassification redefined its range to South America and Panama. Reclassification happens when new research, such as DNA testing, shows that a species is more, or less, distinct than scientists once thought.
The new common name of the Atlantic Red-cheeked Mud Turtle reflects the distinct physical traits of their red-patterned faces, and their range restricted to the eastern side of the main mountain range running through Central America. This turtle resides in small streams, oxbows, marshes, and ponds, and feasts on fruit, seeds, algae, fish, shrimp, and even frogs.
Threats to this species include habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation, particularly for agriculture and livestock operations, as well as collection for local consumption and the pet trade, and fires. By spreading awareness about the challenges this turtle—and others like it—face, and by protecting natural habitats, we can help ensure their survival.
Header image by Jay Ballard
