Shell studies of the Sonora Mud Turtle, Kinosternon sonoriense, have been limited except for a description of organisms living on the shell (Hulse 1976a) and a study on individual growth and morphometrics (Hulse 1976b), both involving individuals from Arizona, USA. Shell abnormalities in K. sonoriense were reported by Hulse (1976b) and included round pits up to 3-mm diameter in 26% of the specimens examined and a “corrugated carapace”, apparently due to “uneven deposition of additional bony material in the dermal skeleton” in 9% of the specimens examined. In his earlier paper, Hulse (1976a) reported epizoic algae, including Basicladia (now Arnoldiella) chelonum, on K. sonoriense in Arizona. While Hulse (1976b) noted that this alga could have been responsible for the pits, he rejected that conclusion because he observed many turtles with the algae present that lacked these pits. In the present work, we provide evidence for a similar shell-disease lesion progression throughout the range of K. sonoriense.

Christiansen JL, LaDuc TJ, Davis DR. 2024. Shell abnormalities in the Sonora mud turtle, Kinosternon sonoriense. Herpetological Review 55:193–198. [PDF]