ORDER

Testudines (turtles and tortoises)

FAMILY

Emydidae (box turtles and pond turtles)

HABITAT AND RANGE

Malaclemys terrapin occurs along parts of the eastern coast of the United States from as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to the southernmost Florida Keys. The turtles are also abundant in the Gulf Coast. Diamondback terrapins inhabit saltwater habitats, including brackish channels, lagoons, tidal flats, marshes, estuarine areas, and coastlines.

IDENTIFICATION

A grayish to nearly black carapace usually has spots or streaks of black on gray skin, making Malaclemys terrapin one of the darkest turtle species. The hind legs are relatively large and the toes are webbed beyond the bases of the nails. This species is known to have the greatest sexually dimorphic size disparity found in any North American turtle. Males are usually smaller in both body and head size, while the females are large. Females often attain carapace length of 9 inches, while males usually reach a maximum of 5.5 inches.

DIET

Crabs, snails, shrimp, fish, mussels, clams and other assorted crustaceans.

REPRODUCTION AND LIFESPAN

Copulation occurs in the waters in early spring and females start depositing eggs from April through late July on the sandy banks of marshes, estuaries and lagoons. A single female can lay anywhere from 4-12 eggs per clutch, and multiple clutches are common, especially in captivity. Interestingly, the sex ratio appears to favor females. In a sample of 1,433 individuals, females outnumbered males nearly six to one.

NOTES

In captivity, the diamondback terrapins are known to recognize habits, and learn quickly what times people are normally around. They seem very sociable except when their cage is too small. They enjoy basking together, often one on top of another. In the past, Malaclemys sp. were often considered a delicacy because of the sweet meat. These turtles were almost brought to extinction in the early years of the present century. They were either relentlessly hunted for their flesh or died of drowning in underwater crab traps.