Herpetological Conservation and Biology 11(2):265–271. Submitted: 2 April 2015; Accepted: 23 November 2015; Published: 31 August 2016. OBSERVATIONS ON POPULATION ECOLOGY AND ABUNDANCE OF THE MICRO-ENDEMIC OAXACA MUD TURTLE (KINOSTERNON OAXACAE) ALMA G. VÁZQUEZ-GÓMEZ1, MARTHA HARFUSH2, AND RODRIGO MACIP-RÍOS3,4,5 1Escuela de Biología. Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Blvd. Valsequillo y Av. San Claudio, Edificio 112-A, Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico, e-mail:
[email protected] 2Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga. Domicilio Conocido, Santa María Tonameca, Mazunte, Oaxaca 70902, Mexico, e-mail:
[email protected] 3Instituto de Ciencias de Gobierno y Desarrollo Estratégico. Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. Av. Cúmulo de Virgo, S/N, San Andrés Cholula, Puebla 72810, Mexico, e-mail:
[email protected] 4Current address: Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro No.8701, Col. Ex Hacienda de Sán José de la Huerta, Morelia, Michoacán 58190, México 5Corresponding author, e-mail:
[email protected] Abstract.The Oaxaca Mud Turtle (Kinosternon oaxacae) is one of the least known turtles in Mexico. It was described in 1980 and until now it is only known from 44 specimens and 15 localities. It is distributed from the Papagayo River near the state line with Guerrero to the western limits of Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is under special protection by the Mexican Government, but it is not included on other conservation lists. The Mexican Turtle Center has monitored K. oaxacae for more than a decade. That work resulted in a database of 233 records, with annotations on its natural history and phenology.