Diamondback Terrapin

Malaclemys terrapin

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing diamondback terrapins. While other turtle species may share the name "terrapin" this species is unique. The diamondback terrapin is the only living turtle that lives permanently in brackish water. The name "diamondback" comes from the ringed, diamond-shaped patterns on their upper shell. The name "terrapin" comes from an Algonquin word meaning turtle. It should be noted, however, that just because turtles have the name terrapin doesn't necessarily mean they're closely related. In fact, the diamondback terrapin's closest living relatives are the freshwater map turtles.

Diamondback terrapins range along the United States Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts to Texas. They're also present in Bermuda. These turtles live in salt marshes, lagoons, shallow bays, and other estuarine environments. They're aquatic turtles and spend a majority of their time in water but they come ashore to bask in the sun as well as to lay their eggs.

Like many other turtle species, the diamondback terrapin's sex is determined by temperature. Higher temperatures result in more females and the general trend in population tends to favor the ladies over the lads. In some studies, only one male was observed for every six females! These turtles breed in spring and lay their eggs in summer. Females take longer to reach maturity than males likely because they can reach twice their size! 

Male diamondback terrapins, who max out at about five inches (13cm) in length, reach reproductive maturity around two to three years of age. Female diamondback terrapins can reach more than nine inches (23cm) long and take six to seven years to reach reproductive maturity. 

The female comes ashore to lay her eggs above the high tide line. She'll dig a nest with her large back feet and lay a dozen or fewer eggs. These incubate for two to over three months depending on environmental factors like temperature. In fact, if the babies hatch with the onset of cold weather, they'll remain in the nest, surviving off their egg yolk and fat reserves until the climate warms in the spring. 

Diamondback terrapins are their most vulnerable as eggs and juveniles. Predators to these turtles include crows, raccoons, rats, birds, and large fish. As adults their threats are more anthropogenic in nature. They face habitat loss, run-ins with cars, and they used to face overexploitation for food. In fact, American Prohibition may have saved the diamondback terrapin from extinction. These reptiles were regularly featured in turtle soup, a recipe which also required sherry to complete. Without immediate access to this wine, the soup fell out of favor and the turtles rebounded in population. Still, they're considered vulnerable to extinction as of this recording and their newest threat is in the form of crab pots. Though they live in water, turtles require air to breathe. When the terrapins become trapped in crab pots, they drown.

Like sea turtles, diamondback terrapins have salt releasing glands around their eyes which help them regulate the amount of salt in their body. If there's too much, they can expel it through these glands. This is how they're able to live in their brackish habitat. They've even been observed in the open ocean, though they can't sustainably live here and must return to fresher water for survival.

These turtles eat crustaceans like crabs and barnacles, snails, mussels, and more. They use their strong jaws to crush their meals. In colder months, these turtles may enter a state of low activity buried in the substrate at the bottom of their habitat. If they can avoid threats, diamondback terrapins can live to be twenty to forty years old!

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