I had no idea what kind of turtle this was when I first encountered it sitting in the middle of a trail at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge this past Monday. Most of the time that I see turtles they are in the water or are sunning themselves at the water’s edge. This turtle was small and dark and lacked distinctive markings that would have aided me in identifying it.
I noticed that the turtle had a really large head and what looked to be sharp claws, so I initially thought it might be a baby snapping turtle. Uncertain of the identification, I posted a photo to a Facebook group for Nature Lovers of Virginia. The consensus of the group is that this is Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum), a new species for me.
I did a little checking on this species in Wikipedia and learned that mating occurs in the early spring followed by egg laying in May to early June. As was this case with a snapping turtle that I recently saw on dry land, I wonder if this turtle was looking for a place to lay its eggs.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
It’s quite handsome. I must say, the expression on its face made me laugh. It looks perplexed, or just slightly resigned. It’s wonderful.
After listening to the condensed version of the post and looking at the photo, Benjamin said “make it bigger.” The enlarged photo popped onto the screen causing a “Wow, he has a big eye and a little mouth! I like mud, just like the turtle. His shell is not so high as the other turtle.” Benjamin is referring to the Box Turtle’s shell in a previous post. At times, his memory surprises me. Thank-you, Mr. Mike!!