Thursday, May 29, 2014

Diamondback Terrapin

Texas diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin littoralis
Diamondback terrapins live exclusively in brackish saltwater marshes, coastal bays, and lagoons, and are the only turtle found in estuaries and tidal creeks where salinity is similar to that of the ocean. Found along the eastern and southern coast of the United States, from Massachusetts to Texas, their carnivorous diet includes snails, mussels, clams, and barnacles. Their shell length can reach up to 14 cm (5.5 in) on males and 22 cm (9 in) on females. They are not sea turtles, even though they can be mistaken for it due to their strongly webbed feet, but they do face similar threats including crab pot drownings, habitat loss, nest predation, and boat strikes. In the past, diamondback terrapins had the additional threat of being the preferred ingredient in turtle soup. Unregulated hunting resulted in near extinction. The soup fell out of favor during Prohibition as wine, a key ingredient to the soup, became illegal to possess. Their numbers have since vastly improved, and they are protect by law in most states from collection and possession.

The above diamondback terrapin resides at the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary after legal rescue and transfer by a Texas game warden. It is on display under the education display permit EDU-0609-114 from Texas Parks and Wildlife. It is illegal to hold any native wildlife in the state of Texas (or native bird in the United States) without a proper permit.

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