Malaclemys terrapin

The turtle Malaclemys terrapin, commonly known as the diamond terrapin, is a species of water turtle that inhabits the Atlantic coast of North America. Its name comes from the diamond-shaped scales on its shell, which make it easily recognizable as the diamondback terrapin.

Distribution

The Malaclemys terrapin, or diamond terrapin, is a species endemic to the Atlantic coast of North America and is found only in the United States. Its habitat stretches along a narrow coastal strip on the Atlantic side, from Cape Cod in Massachusetts, northward, to Texas in the southwest, passing through the Florida Keys in the south.

Although its geographic range is relatively limited, the diamond terrapin holds great ecological and cultural importance in its distribution area. It is an iconic species of the North American Atlantic coast.

Characteristics

It is a very striking and beautiful turtle. It is distinguished by the pronounced ridges on each scale of its carapace, from which its diamond name originates. Its carapace widens behind the bridges and then narrows, featuring a strong keel on the vertebral scales, which are always wider than they are long. The overall color varies according to subspecies and can range from gray to light brown and black.

The plastron of the diamondback terrapin is yellow to greenish, with irregular dark spots that vary in intensity. The bridges are wide and strong, and the head is relatively short and narrow in males and broader in females. The eyes are large, black, and always prominent. The skin on the head, neck, and legs is characteristically gray or whitish, adorned with dark blackish spots or dots. The jaws are very light, often yellowish, sometimes with a black tip on the chin.

There are significant color variations in this species, and juveniles are lighter than adults.

Subspecies

There are seven subspecies of the species Malaclemys terrapin:

Malaclemys terrapin centrata

The Carolina diamondback terrapin, found between Cape Hatteras and northern Florida. The sides of its carapace are parallel and it lacks tubercles on the vertebral keel, with the rear marginal scutes curved upward.

Malaclemys terrapin littoralis

Texas diamondback terrapin, which inhabits from western Louisiana to western Texas. Its carapace is quite raised and its plastron is generally whitish. The top of the head is white, while the neck and limbs are gray-green with black spots.

Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota

Ornate diamondback terrapin, found from Florida Bay to Mobile Bay in Alabama. Its keel has large tubercles on the third and fourth vertebral scutes, and the center of the scutes is always lighter with yellow to orange tones.

Malaclemys terrapin pileata

Mississippi diamondback terrapin, found from Mobile Bay to western Louisiana. Its keel has tubercles only on the last three vertebral scutes, which are narrower and longer than in Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota. The scutes are uniformly colored without a light center, and all marginal scutes curve upward on the sides, while the underside is yellow to orange. The upper side of the limbs, head, and neck is dark brown or black, and the plastron is always yellow.

Malaclemys terrapin rhizophorarum

Keys diamondback terrapin, found only in the Florida Keys. Its keel has large tubercles, and the scutes are black to brown without a light center. The sutures between the plastron scutes have a blackish coloration, and the hind limbs are gray with black streaks, while the front limbs and neck are uniformly gray.

Malaclemys terrapin tequesta

Eastern Florida diamondback terrapin, found on the east coast of Florida. Its keel has prominent backward-pointing tubercles, and its carapace is brown or bronze. The costal scutes are large, and the center is often lighter than the edges.

Malaclemys terrapin terrapin

Northern diamondback terrapin, which ranges from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras. Its carapace can vary from a light brown shade to uniform black, and its plastron can be greenish-gray or almost orange. The vertebral keel has no tubercles.

Habits

Terrapins live in brackish waters such as coastal marshes, estuaries, and lagoons.

Their activity varies depending on the distribution area: in the north, they hibernate from November to early May, burying themselves in the mud, often in groups. In contrast, in the south, they are active year-round and are diurnal, feeding and basking on the shore.

They seem adapted to salinity differences in their habitat, but when salinity exceeds 27%, they stop drinking. If they spend a lot of time in saltwater, their rehydration time is short. When it rains, they position themselves on the water surface and drink the layer of freshwater, which does not exceed 2 mm. If it rains heavily, they stretch their necks and open their mouths to drink. The lacrimal glands help them to eliminate excess salt accumulated in their body.

Terrapins are sedentary and do not move far from their usual area.

Terrapins have a strong jaw adapted for consuming crustaceans and mollusks, as well as crabs, bivalves, marine worms, and aquatic plants. All tissues and body fluids of this species have a higher osmotic pressure than other turtles, due to their significant concentrations of urea and amino acids.

How big is the Malaclemys terrapin turtle?

It is a small turtle. Females do not exceed 23 cm long, while males measure up to 15 cm.

What does the Malaclemys terrapin turtle eat?

It feeds on fish, insects, mollusks, invertebrates, and even other turtles. Its diet mainly consists of mollusks, fish, worms, insects, and crustaceans.

In captivity, they can be fed dry food or turtle sticks, small fish, mollusks, raw chicken meat, among others.

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Reproduction

The males mature at 3-5 years and the females at 6-8 years, when they reach a size of 9 cm and 15 cm, respectively.

In Florida, the mating takes place between March and April, and in some calm channels and water arms, up to one turtle per square meter can be observed. During mating, the male shakes his head in front of the female, and copulation lasts about two minutes.

The females nest nest from April to July, often after high tide. The nests contain 4 to 18 eggs that are white and pink with a leather-like texture. On average, incubation lasts 75 to 80 days, but in the north, the eggs hatch later and the hatchlings diamondback terrapin can remain underground until spring.

Conservation status

In many regions, raccoons and foxes are known to prey on nests of the diamondback terrapin, but there are also other species that do so, such as crabs, muskrats, and birds.

For a long time, humans have consumed this species, as its meat was considered a delicacy. In some regions, populations have disappeared, leading to the cessation of its consumption.

Coastal urbanization, changes to aquatic environments, and crab traps are the main causes of the sharp decline in populations. As a result, this species has diamondback terrapin become very rare in many regions.