Diet and Habitat of the Scorpion Mud Turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides scorpioides) in the Southern Limit of the Species' Distribution (Argentina)

Abstract. In this study we describe some ecological features of Kinosternon scorpioides scorpioides from a section of the Argentina's Chaco ecoregion encompassing the provinces of Salta, Chaco, and Formosa, including the description of the capture sites and an analysis of the feeding ecology of the species. Six field trips were made during the spring and summer months from 2016 to 2020. We captured 23 turtles: 8 in Salta, 8 in Chaco, and 7 in Formosa; all corresponding to the dry portion of the Chaco ecoregion. They were found in a variety of aquatic environments (including those with considerable waste and human disturbance), and they also seemed to tolerate some fragmentation of the forest matrix. The analysis of 20 stomach contents and 14 fecal samples corroborated that K. s. scorpioides is predominantly an opportunistic omnivore, capable of feeding upon a diverse variety of invertebrates, some small vertebrates, and large volumes of vegetal material. The present study provides some baseline information about habitat requirements and feeding habits of the southernmost known populations of K. s. scorpioides.