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Common Name: Diamondback Terrapin 

Genus and Species:  Malaclemys terrapin

Subspecies:

There are seven subspecies in the Malaclemys terrapin species.  Five of them are found in Florida. All are listed here:

·         Malaclemys terrapin tequesta  (East Coast Florida Diamondback Terrapin)

·         Malaclemys terrapin pileata (Mississippi Diamondback Terrapin)

·         Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota (Ornate Diamondback Terrapin)

·         Malaclemys terrapin rhizophorarum  (Mangrove Diamondback Terrapin)

·         Malaclemys terrapin centrata (Carolina Diamondback Terrapin)

·         Malaclemys terrapin littoralis (Texas Diamondback Terrapin)

·         Malaclemys terrapin maximus (North Atlantic Diamondback Terrapin)

Conservation Status:

·         The IUCN lists the Diamondback Terrapin as a near-threatened species.

·         The United States Fish and Wildlife Service does not list the Diamondback Terrapin as protected.

·         The State of Florida offers no designation of protection for the Diamondback Terrapin.

·         Other states offer varying degrees of protection.  Most still allow hunting of them.

Range:

The range of the Diamondback terrapin extends from as far north as Chesapeake Bay to the Florida Keys and around the Gulf of Mexico to Corpus Christi.  The species prefers brackish water and is known to be extremely diverse in appearance.

Specifically (according to references listed below) the distribution seems to appear as follows:

·         Northern- Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras

·         Carolina- Cape Hatteras to Flagler County Florida

·         Florida East Coast- Flagler County to the Upper Keys

·         Mangrove- Tip of South Florida throughout the Keys

·         Ornate- West Coast Panhandle to Key Largo

·         Mississippi- Panhandle to East Louisiana

·         Texas- East Louisiana to Corpus Christi Texas

Characteristics:                                          

Diamondback terrapins are a small species with females reaching about nine inches and males about six in length.

Morphologically they vary widely.  The ornate race is brightly colored with protruding scutes while the mangrove race is dark and flat.

All subspecies utilize brackish water and some have been known to venture out into the ocean. Estuaries, creeks, and rivers are their common occurrences.

Common food items are mollusks, fiddler crabs, and small fish.

Breeding:

Nests are made in sandy soils. Hatchlings are about an inch in size and vary widely in coloration.

Other Notes:

The East Coast Florida Species of Diamondback Terrapin is shown in the pictures used for this article.

References:

Animal Diversity Web  http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Malaclemys_terrapin.html

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamondback_terrapin

NeoTerrapin  http://www.neoterrapin.com/genus/

Texas Diamondback Terrapin http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/terrapin/

Malaclemys gallery http://www.chelonia.org/malaclemmysgallery.htm

Diamondback Terrapin http://www.tortoise.org/archives/malaclem.html

Empire of the Turtle (Excellent site! ) http://www.empireoftheturtle.com/Florida/malaclemys_terrapin.htm

Population genetics of the Diamondback Terrapin http://www.uga.edu/srel/Reprint/2820.htm

Road Ecology of the Northern Diamondback Terrapin http://repositories.cdlib.org/jmie/roadeco/Szerlag2005a/

Carolina Diamondback Terrapin http://www.dnr.sc.gov/cwcs/pdf/DiamondbackTerrapin.pdf

By Jamie Drake

Jamie Drake is a full time student, amateur photographer, and serious advocate of conservation of Florida and North American natural resources. Her special interests include the Northern Caracara, Limpkin, and in finding ways for nature to thrive even through the rapid urbanization of Florida.
Visit her websites to learn more: http://www.fieldguideflorida.com