Diamondback
T
errapin:
Flagship Species of the Marsh
by Marilyn Blizard
W
hat is there to love about Kiawah? Why, the
diamondback terrapins, of course. They’re as rare as turtles go, but
found in our marsh waters and even in our backyard, if we’re lucky.
My passion is to alert others of their presence.
How rare? Diamondback terrapins have recently been
identitified by the Convention on Trade in International Endangered
Species (CITES) as protected against over-exploitation through
international trade. This will restrict the import and export of
terrapins. The Kiwah River Terrapin Working Group, formed in response to the species’ endangerment, is modeled after
the national Working Group for this turtle.
Over 100 enthusiasts have joined the Kiawah River Terrapin Working Group and become Incidental Terrapin
Sighters. We share the newsletters of the Kiawah River Terrapin Working Group and have reported sightings on the Town
of Kiawah Island’s wildlife website numbering 25 in 2012 and 12 in 2013.
If you reside near a marsh, come spring, you should be watchful for young diamondback terrapins hatching in
the sand. Be alert, these babies are so tiny that a bunch can fit in the palm of your hand. During the summer months you
might spy a female searching for a place to lay eggs. One alert watcher photographed a female diamondback crossing her
driveway.
What can you do to help the diamondback terrapin? For those who set out crab traps in the marsh waters, you
can make sure that your crab trap has been outfitted with a Bycatch Reduction Device (BRD). BRDs are available at the
Heron Park Nature Center (843-768-6001). Become a citizen scientist. Contact Marilyn Blizard ([email protected])
to join the Kiawah River Working Terrapin Group. Report your diamondback terrapin sightings to the Town of Kiawah
Island Wildlife Biologists ([email protected]). n
Photographs courtesy of Pamela Cohen
Cool Diamondback Terrapin Facts
• They have a typical lifespan of 25 to 40 years.
• They are light brown, gray or black on top with a bottom shell that ranges from yellow to olive in color.
• Their whitish skin is covered with black spots and squiggly marks in a pattern that is unique to each like a fingerprint.
• They are believed to be the only turtle in the world that lives exclusively in brackish water.
• Their preferred nesting sites are sandy, elevated spots of the marsh, with high site fidelity.
• Similar to sea turtles, their offspring’s gender is determined by temperature. A higher nest temperature produces more
females and a lower nest temperature produces more males. Eight to 12 eggs are laid and typical gestation is 60 days.
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