White-lipped Mud Turtle

 

This medium-sized mud turtle can be found throughout Central America and northern South America. It is found in lowland swamps, shallow lagoons and lazy rivers, but may also live in strong, clear water currents, which is unusual for turtles.  I’m not sure if this species is resident on the Macal River, but keep an eye out for it in the shallows.

An omnivore, it eats crayfish, snails, aquatic insects, water plants, fruit, dead fish and other mucky stuff. It may reach the advanced age of nearly 20 years, and weigh more than 1½ pounds, reproducing by laying only one or two large eggs per clutch, which means it doesn’t reproduce very fast – and subsequently is in danger of disappearing if it isn’t protected.

This particular turtle, about 6-7” long, was probably a female, as the chins of males are heavily marked with dark squiggles, while hers was creamy white. I found and sketched her crossing Hydro Road just south of the Arenal exit when the area was still planted with orange groves. White-lipped turtles often go walkabout, even estivating (finding a cool place to go dormant during hot periods) more than half a mile from their pond, so this one was likely going on vacation.

When I found her, she pulled in legs, head and tail and clamped her plastron (the underside flaps) shut for a full twenty minutes before cautiously poking out her head. After sketching her for an hour or so, I returned her to her chosen destination, and she disappeared instantly in the tall grass.

NOTE: if you find a turtle crossing the road, stop and carry it to where it was going – if you return it to the side it came from it will just turn around and cross the road again toward its original destination. As a result, it could be hit by a car or, in Belize, caught and made into turtle soup by the locals.