Population Demographics of Kinosternids in Petén, Northern Guatemala: An Analysis of Community Ecology and Morphology

Field investigations on the demography of freshwater turtle communities in El Petén, Guatemala, were carried out in October 2023 by using active and passive sampling methods. In total, 105 turtles representing three species (Kinosternon acutum, Kinosternon leucostomum, and Staurotypus triporcatus) were sampled. Results indicate that K. leucostomum and S. triporcatus are distributed throughout the department of El Petén, whereas K. acutum was found only in protected sites.