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Terrapins are a group of several species of small turtle (order Testudines) living in fresh or brackish water. Terrapins do not form a taxonomic unit and may not be closely related. Many belong to the families Geoemydidae and Emydidae .
Terrapin is a term for a type of aquatic turtle, especially the diamondback terrapin of North America. Learn about the characteristics, habitat, diet, and threats of terrapins from Britannica's experts.
Uma terrapin é uma das várias espécies pequenas de tartarugas (cágado) que vivem em água doce ou salobra. As terrapins não formam uma unidade taxonômica e podem não estar relacionadas. Muitas pertencem às famílias Geoemydidae e Emydidae .
- Description
- Distribution and Habitat
- Life Cycle
- Diet
- Conservation
- Relationship with Humans
- Bibliography
- External Links
The common name refers to the diamond pattern on top of its shell (carapace), but the overall pattern and coloration vary greatly. No two diamondback terrapins look alike. The shell is usually wider at the back than in the front, and from above it appears wedge-shaped. The shell coloring can vary from brown to grey, and its body color can be grey, ...
Diamondback terrapins live in the very narrow strip of coastal habitats on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States, from as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to the southern tip of Florida and around the Gulf Coast to Texas. In most of their range, terrapins live in Spartina marshes that are flooded at high tide, but in Florida they a...
Adult diamondback terrapins mate in the early spring, and clutches of 4–22 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 115 mm (4+1⁄2 in) in length; it takes longer for females: 6–7 years (8–10 years for northern diamondback terrapins) at a length of ar...
The diamondback terrapin typically feeds on fish, crustaceans (such as shrimp and crabs) marine worms, marine snails (especially the saltmarsh periwinkle), clams, barnacles, mussels, other mollusks, insects, carrion, and sometimes ingest small amounts of plant material, such as algae. At high densities the terrapin may eat enough invertebrates to h...
Status
In the early 1900s, the species was considered a delicacy and was hunted almost to extinction.The population also decreased due to the development of coastal areas, terrapins being susceptible to wounds from the propellers on motorboats. Another common cause of death is the trapping of the turtles in recreational crab traps, as the turtles are attracted to the same bait as the crabs. The Wetlands Institute estimates that a minimum of 14,000 to 15,000 terrapins drown in crab traps annually set...
Conservation status
The species is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to decreasing population numbers in most of its range. There is limited protection for terrapins on a state-by-state level throughout its range; it is listed as Endangered in Rhode Island and Threatened in Massachusetts. The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group deal with regional protection issues. There is no national protection except through the Lacey Act, and little international protection.[citation needed] Diamondback terrapins are t...
Threats
The conservation status was heavily impacted by the consumption of diamondback terrapins in the 1900s when their sweet meat eventually became a multi-million dollar industry for gourmet restaurants. Around the 1920s, with the enforcement of prohibition, the consumption of diamondback terrapins declined. Since then, however, the population has never fully recovered. Another threat is exposure to paralytic shellfish toxins (PST), such as saxitoxins, which may contaminate mussels and other shell...
In Maryland, diamondback terrapins were so plentiful in the 18th century that slaves protested the excessive use of this food source as their main protein. Late in the 19th century, 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 renowned Delmonico's Rest...
Conant, Roger (1975). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America(2nd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.Smith, Hobart Muir; Brody, E.D. (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press.Species Malaclemys terrapin at The Reptile DatabaseLearn about the diamondback terrapin, a coastal turtle with a distinctive shell pattern and a carnivorous diet. Find out how this species is threatened by human activities and how to help conserve it.
Terrapins are aquatic turtles with 13 different species, each native to a different continent. They have the same habitats and needs as most turtles, but their name comes from their role in history as "edible turtles". Learn more about their origin, difference, and care guide.
Overview. Diamondback terrapins are aquatic turtles with concentric, diamond-shaped markings and grooves on the scutes (plates) of their carapaces (top shells), which range from medium gray or brown to nearly black. Their skin can be pale gray to black, marked with dark spots, blotches or stripes.
