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Mud turtles may not be the most glamorous of creatures, but they are fascinating in their own right. Found across North America, these semi-aquatic creatures are adapted to life in and out of water. They prefer freshwater, but can tolerate brackish water with lower salt content than sea water. The turtles regulate their temperature through water, sun, and burrowing, spending much of their time foraging for food in the soft mud. This behavior gives them their name, mud turtles.