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.
This week, we’re shining the spotlight on the Tabasco Mud Turtle!
The Tabasco Mud Turtle (Kinosternon acutum) is found throughout parts of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. It gets its name from where it can be found in Mexico: Veracruz and Tabasco. This turtle prefers a semi-terrestrial habitat rich in earthworms, insects, snails, and larvae—all essential components of its diet. We support BFREE in conducting on-the-ground surveys to monitor the species’ population status.
The Tabasco Mud Turtle is listed as Near Threatened due to habitat destruction and fragmentation, particularly from agriculture and livestock operations. Raising awareness about the challenges this turtle faces and the importance of preserving natural habitats contributes to its survival.
Celebrate Hicatee Awareness Month with us by following us across our social platforms, following BFREE, and downloading the coloring book to learn more about Belize’s imperiled species.
Header image by Jay Ballard.
