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{{Short description|Species of turtle}}
{{Speciesbox
| image =
| status = LR/lc
| status_system = IUCN2.3
| status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn |author=Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group |year=1996 |title=''Pelusios rhodesianus'' |errata=2016 |volume=1996 |page=e.T16530A97385824|doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T16530A6002069.en|access-date=19 November 2024}}</ref>
| taxon = Pelusios rhodesianus
| authority = [[John Hewitt (herpetologist)|Hewitt]], 1927
| synonyms = ''Pelusios nigricans rhodesianus'' <small>Hewitt, 1927</small>
| synonyms_ref =
}}

The '''variable mud turtle''' ('''''Pelusios rhodesianus'''''), also known as '''Rhodesian mud turtle''', '''Mashona hinged terrapin''' or '''variable hinged terrapin''', is a [[species]] of [[turtle]] in the family [[Pelomedusidae]]. It is widely distributed in [[Central Africa|Central]], [[East Africa|East]], and [[Southern Africa]].<ref name=IUCN/><ref name=RDB/> The species was officially described by [[John Hewitt (herpetologist)|John Hewitt]] in 1927 and had to be broken into subspecies due to color variations on the heads of the turtles acrost the regions.<ref name="Chelonian Research Foundation">{{Cite book |url=http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/cbftt/ |title=Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises |chapter=Pelusios rhodesianus Hewitt 1927 – Variable Mud Turtle, Variable Hinged Terrapin |date=2008-05-15 |publisher=Chelonian Research Foundation |editor-last=Rhodin |editor-first=Anders |edition=First |series=Chelonian Research Monographs |volume=5 |pages=004.1–004.3 |doi=10.3854/crm.5.004.rhodesianus.v1.2008 |editor-last2=Pritchard |editor-first2=Peter |editor-last3=van Dijk |editor-first3=Peter Paul |editor-last4=Saumure |editor-first4=Raymond}}</ref>

==Distribution==
This species is found in the [[Republic of the Congo]], the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Uganda]], [[Rwanda]], [[Burundi]], [[Tanzania]], [[Angola]], [[Zambia]],
[[Malawi]], [[Zimbabwe]], [[Botswana]], [[Mozambique]], and [[South Africa]].<ref name=IUCN/> The variable mud turtle can generally be found in or around water sources or areas such as [[lagoon]]s or swampy areas.<ref name="Chelonian Research Foundation"/>

== Conservation status ==
The variable mud turtle (''Pelusios rhodesianus'') is currently listed as of least concern by [[conservationists]], but a reduction in population has been noticed between the variable mud turtle and species in the same family. As it would turn out, destruction of water sources (such as [[damming]]) has caused an impact on this family of turtles. One of these species (''[[West African mud turtle|Pelusios seychellensis]]'') has actually recently became extinct for these same reasons.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rhodin |first1=Anders G.J. |last2=Stanford |first2=Craig B. |last3=Dijk |first3=Peter Paul Van |last4=Eisemberg |first4=Carla |last5=Luiselli |first5=Luca |last6=Mittermeier |first6=Russell A. |last7=Hudson |first7=Rick |last8=Horne |first8=Brian D. |last9=Goode |first9=Eric V. |last10=Kuchling |first10=Gerald |last11=Walde |first11=Andrew |date=2018-12-18 |title=Global Conservation Status of Turtles and Tortoises (Order Testudines) |url=https://bioone.org/journals/chelonian-conservation-and-biology/volume-17/issue-2/CCB-1348.1/Global-Conservation-Status-of-Turtles-and-Tortoises-Order-Testudines/10.2744/CCB-1348.1.full |journal=Chelonian Conservation and Biology |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=135 |doi=10.2744/CCB-1348.1 |s2cid=91937716 |issn=1071-8443|url-access=subscription }}</ref> This family along with the family ''[[African helmeted turtle|Pelomedusa]]'' is actually are the last two surviving families of an even larger group of turtles called the ''Pelomedusoides.''<ref name="Fritz 115–125">{{Cite journal |last1=Fritz |first1=Uwe |last2=Branch |first2=William R. |last3=Hofmeyr |first3=Margaretha D. |last4=Maran |first4=Jérôme |last5=Prokop |first5=Hynek |last6=Schleicher |first6=Alfred |last7=Š iroký |first7=Pavel |last8=Stuckas |first8=Heiko |last9=Vargas-Ramírez |first9=Mario |last10=Vences |first10=Miguel |last11=Hundsdörfer |first11=Anna K. |date=March 2011 |title=Molecular phylogeny of African hinged and helmeted terrapins (Testudines: Pelomedusidae: Pelusios and Pelomedusa ) |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1463-6409.2010.00464.x |journal=Zoologica Scripta |language=en |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=115–125 |doi=10.1111/j.1463-6409.2010.00464.x |s2cid=54882383 |issn=0300-3256|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== Facts ==

* All of the species in this family are very aquatic.<ref name="Fritz 115–125"/>
* "A hinge between hypoplastral and mesoplastral bones allows a more or less complete closure of the anterior part of the shell."<ref name="Fritz 115–125"/>
* You can often find these turtles with burn marks on the shells caused from brush fires.<ref name="Chelonian Research Foundation"/>

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=RDB>{{NRDB species |genus=Pelusios |species=rhodesianus |accessdate=11 April 2021}}</ref>
}}

{{Pleurodira}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2044080}}

[[Category:Pelusios|variable mud turtle]]
[[Category:Turtles of Africa]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Angola]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Botswana]]
[[Category:Vertebrates of Burundi]]
[[Category:Reptiles of the Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Malawi]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Mozambique]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Namibia]]
[[Category:Reptiles of the Republic of the Congo]]
[[Category:Vertebrates of Rwanda]]
[[Category:Reptiles of South Africa]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Tanzania]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Uganda]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Zambia]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Zimbabwe]]
[[Category:Reptiles described in 1927|variable mud turtle]]
[[Category:Taxa named by John Hewitt (herpetologist)]]
[[Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot]]

{{turtle-stub}}

Variable mud turtle - Revision history

imported>OAbot: Open access bot: url-access updated in citation with #oabot.