What Kills Eastern Mud Turtles?

The eastern mud turtle is found throughout the eastern and southern United States, from New York in the north to southern Florida in the south. Like many small reptiles and animals in the United States, they are susceptible to predators, humans and other threats that can and do kill them, which in turn has a negative effect on local populations.
  1. Cars

    • Eastern mud turtles are commonly seen in places such as New York, crossing busy roads in search of water and nesting sites. As a result, many turtles are killed each year by cars, which has a dramatic effect on overall populations in busy urban areas.

    Raccoons

    • Research cited to by the New York Natural Heritage Program suggests that raccoons have a detrimental effect on eastern mud turtle populations.

      "The largest eastern mud turtle population in the state is on a small island on which raccoons and other mammalian predators are absent," according to the New York Natural Heritage Program.

      Raccoons are known to increase in number as urban development increases, meaning they are coming into contact with eastern mud turtles in rapidly growing areas.

    Water Pollution

    • Eastern mud turtles are often found in fresh or brackish water, including marshes, small ponds, wet ditches and fields, and offshore islands. However as development around these areas increase, pollutants such as oil, road salts, insecticides and pesticides can come into contact with them and have been known to kill them by polluting the water they need to survive.

    Illegal Pet Traders

    • Eastern mud turtles are at risk from illegal pet traders throughout areas where they are found. Removing mud turtles from their natural habitat and keeping them as pets damages their numbers, especially as many people do not know what their specific requirements are and inadvertently kill them. Many people do not know that they should only be fed two to three timers per week or that an air temperature of 80 degrees should be maintained in any enclosure they are kept in.