Diamondback terrapin

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Diamondback Terrapin

Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Subclass:	Anapsida
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Emydidae
Subfamily:	Deirochelyinae
Genus:	Malaclemys Gray, 1844
Species:	M. terrapin
Binomial name
*Malaclemys terrapin* Schoepf, 1793
Synonyms
Emys Concentrica Testudo concentrata Testudo ocellata Testudo terrapin

The Diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) or simply terrapin, is a species of turtle native to the brackish coastal swamps of the eastern and southern United States, from as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts and as far south as Cape Sable, Florida.

1 Description
2 Life cycle
3 Diet
4 Status
5 Historic uses
6 Diamondback terrapins and people
7 References
8 External links

Description

A picture of the the terrapin, showing the diamond pattern.

The species is named for the diamond pattern on top of its shell, but the overall pattern and coloration varies greatly by species. Their shell coloring can vary from browns to greys, and their body color can be grey, brown, yellow, or white. All have a unique pattern of wiggly, black markings or spots on their body and head. The species is sexually dimorphic in that the males grow to approximately 5 inches, while the females grow to an average of around 7.5 inches, though they are capable of growing larger. The largest female on record was just over 9 inches in length. Specimens from regions that are consistently warmer in temperature tend to be larger than those from cooler, more northern areas.^[1]

Life cycle

Adult diamondback terrapins mate in the early spring, and clutches of 5-12 eggs are laid in sand dunes in the early summer. They hatch in late summer or early fall. Maturity in males is reached in 2–3 years at around 4.5 inches in length; it takes longer for females: 6–7 years at a length of around 6.75 inches.

Diet

The diamondback terrapins live on a diet of mollusks, fiddler crabs, and occasionally small fish

Status

The diamondback terrapin is the state reptile of the U.S. state of Maryland and is the official mascot of the University of Maryland (the Maryland Terrapins or "Terps" for short). The species was once considered a delicacy to eat and was hunted almost to extinction. Due to this it is listed as an endangered species in Rhode Island, is considered a threatened species in Massachusetts, and is considered a "species of concern" in Georgia, Delaware, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Virginia, but it holds no federal status.

Diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin

Historic uses

Terrapin is derived from an Algonquian Indian word torope meaning "edible turtle living in fresh or brackish water." Terrapin was so plentiful in the 1700s that Maryland slaves protested the excessive use of this food source as their main protein. Late in the 1800s, demand for turtle soup claimed a harvest of 89,150 pounds from Chesapeake Bay in one year. In 1899, terrapin was offered on the dinner menu of Delmonico's Restaurant in New York as the third most expensive item on the extensive menu. A patron could request either Maryland or Baltimore terrapin at a price of $2.50. Although demand was high, by 1920 the harvest of terrapin, during one year, reached only 823 pounds.[1] The diamondback is also the official mascot of the University of Maryland, College Park. Adopted in 1932 at the urging of Dr. H. Curly Byrd, the diamondback replaced then-current mascot, "the Old Liners." ^[2]

Diamondback terrapins and people

On July 8, 2009, flights at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City were delayed for up to one and a half hours as 78 diamondback terrapins had invaded one of the runways. The turtles, which according to airport authorities were believed to have entered the runway in order to mate, were removed and released back into the wild.^[3] Given the time of year, it appears more likely, these were female turtles looking to deposit eggs.

According to the FAA National Wildlife Strike Database, a total of 18 strikes between diamondback terrapins and civil aircraft were reported in the US from 1990 to 2007, none of which caused damage to the aircraft.^[4]