Diamondback terrapin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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) 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.

Contents 1 Description 2 Life cycle 3 Habitat 4 Diet 5 Subspecies 6 Status 7 Historic uses 8 References 9 External links

[edit] Description

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]

[edit] 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.

[edit] Habitat

The habitat of the diamondback terrapin extends from cape cod to Texas along the atlantic and gulf coasts. It is believed to be the only turtle that survives in brackish water areas. Its predators include skunks, muskrats, raccoons and crows.^[1]. These small turtles nest on land and require access to dry soft sand or soil to deposit their eggs. If this species of turtle is extirpated from its environment it would have a difficult time repopulating its former habitat^[2]

[edit] Diet

The diamondback terrapin live on a diet of mollusks, fiddler crabs, and occasionally small fish. The terrapin can crush mollusk shells due to the bony plates they have on their upper and lower mandibles. ^[3]

[edit] Subspecies

• Carolina Diamondback Terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin centrata (Latreille, 1802)
• Texas Diamondback Terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin littoralis (Hay, 1904)
• North Atlantic Diamondback Terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin maximus (Tucker, 1986)
• Ornate Diamondback Terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota (Hay, 1904)
• Mississippi Diamondback Terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin pileata (Wied-Neuwied, 1865)
• Mangrove Diamondback Terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin rhizophorarum (Fowler, 1906)
• East Coast Florida Diamondback Terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin tequesta (Schwartz, 1955)
• Northern Diamondback Terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin terrapin (Schoepf, 1793)

[edit] 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, College Park. 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.

[edit] 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.[2] 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." ^[4]

[edit] References

1. ^ Diamondback Terrapin
2. ^ Microsoft Word - Diamondback Terrapin done.doc
3. ^ Northern Diamondback Terrapin Conservation
4. ^ Traditions at The University of Maryland

• Tortoise & Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (1996). Malaclemys terrapin. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
• IUCN Red List: Malaclemys terrapin
• The Biology of the Diamondback Terrapin
• Species Malaclemys terrapin at The Reptile Database

[edit] External links

• Diamondback Terrapin at the Graduate College of Marine Studies
• Jonathan's Diamondback Terrapin World
• Malaclemys Gallery
• Diamondback Terrapin Photos
• Terrapin Farms