Diamondback
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Diamondback Terrapin
The official state reptile of Maryland.
The diamondback terrapin is an iconic turtle of the coastal salt marshes of the northeastern United States. It is the only exclusively estuarine turtle species in North America. It inhabits brackish water, saltwater estuaries, and tidal marshes and has been seen in the Atlantic Ocean.
Appearance & Habits
The terrapin's shell has 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 striking skin can range from white to dark gray or bluish with black leopard-like spots, streaks, or markings. No two diamondback terrapins are exactly alike in color and pattern.
Diamondback terrapins have large webbed feet and muscular legs that make them strong swimmers, helping them survive in environments with daily tidal changes and strong currents.
Adult male terrapins are significantly smaller than adult females in weight and carapace length. Males reach a maximum shell length of 5.5 inches, while females can grow up to 11 inches. Adult females also have larger heads, wider jaws, and shorter tails than males. This species breeds and lays eggs in the spring and summer, and mating always occurs in the water. Nests are usually constructed in sand but may also be in fill dirt.
Diamondback terrapins are almost strictly carnivorous but sometimes ingest small amounts of plant material. They possess strong jaws and crushing plates in their mouths that enable them to eat hard-shelled prey, including aquatic snails, crabs, and small bivalves, such as mussels and clams. The diamondback terrapin is considered a keystone species due to its role as a predator of periwinkle snails in salt marsh ecosystems across the east coast of the United States. Without terrapins and other predators, these snails overgraze grasses, leaving a barren mudflat. For this reason, healthy terrapin populations play an important role in maintaining salt marsh ecosystems.
Like many turtles, terrapins brumate (or hibernate) during the winter, burying themselves in the mud and only surfacing occasionally.
Fun Fact:
One biological advantage these turtles have is the ability to survive in salt waters of variable salinities. Like sea turtles, diamondback terrapins possess salt glands around their eyes, allowing them to secrete excess salt from their blood and survive in salty environments.
History
The word terrapin comes from the Algonquin word torope, which means turtle. While Native Americans traditionally ate terrapins, they were hunted much more extensively in the late 1800s-early 1900s for consumption in turtle soup. This soup was so popular that it was included in President Grover Cleveland's The White House Cookbook in the early 1890s as "Stewed Terrapin with Cream," and the demand for turtle soup drove the terrapin to local extinction in some areas along the Eastern Seaboard. However, another main component of turtle soup was sherry, and the start of Prohibition caused demand for turtle soup to plummet due to the absence of sherry. Luckily, terrapin populations had a chance to recover, and turtle soup never made a comeback.
Fun Fact:
The diamondback terrapin was made the Maryland State reptile and official mascot of the University of Maryland College Park in 1994. However, as mascot (also known as Testudo), the terrapin has been affiliated with the University's athletic program since 1933.
Threats & Conservation
Across their range, diamondback terrapin populations are in decline. Because of this, they are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
Diamondback terrapins face numerous threats, including habitat loss, boat and car strikes, and nest predation by raccoons and other animals. However, incidental drowning in crab traps is the major threat in areas with a large commercial and recreational blue crabbing population, like the Chesapeake Bay. Terrapins are attracted to the bait, enter through an underwater opening, become trapped, and drown within a few hours. Adult males, which are smaller than adult females, are caught more frequently due to the limitations on the size of the trap entrance. Ghost traps, which are crab traps that are lost, abandoned, and no longer checked, are a significant source of terrapin mortality. It is estimated that 2 million commercial crab traps are deployed annually throughout the range of the diamondback terrapin, with approximately 25 percent of those traps becoming lost or abandoned.
In 1992, Dr. Roger Wood, former Director of Research at The Wetlands Institute, fashioned the first Bycatch Reduction Device (BRD) prototype to keep terrapins and other non-target marine organisms from entering crab traps. The rectangular device fits into the inner (narrow) end of entrance funnels in a typical commercial (Maryland-style) crab trap and prevents the entry of adult female terrapins. An important concern in the design process was to ensure that the BRD does not reduce the number or size of crabs caught. Results from the program's long-term studies suggest that not only do BRDs greatly reduce the number of terrapins caught by modified traps, but they have also actually increased the marketable crab catch over unmodified traps of standard design. In addition to reducing terrapin mortality, BRDs may prevent or reduce the number and diversity of other vertebrate animals that might be incidentally trapped in crab traps.
On April 1, 1999, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources enacted a regulation that requires all recreational waterfront property owners who set crab pots on their property or privately owned pier or dock to attach a Turtle Reduction Device (TRD or BRD) to each funnel or entrance to the lower chamber of the crab pot.
We want to give credit to and thank the following organizations for conducting the research and providing the information that we've shared. We are grateful for the steps that they are taking to conserve terrapins and their habitats. Use the links below to learn more.
The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory at the University of Georgia
Diamondback Terrapin Working Group
Meet Dash
In 2020, CCR founder and director of sales Rick met Dash and his caretaker Karen. Dash lived at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, was 18+ years old, and needed a new aquarium. Luckily, Rick and his wife answered the call by donating one they no longer used. Dash made such an impact on Rick and the whole Chesapeake Coffee team that he became the inspiration for our Diamondback blend! As part of the launch of the cans in 2022, Rick visited Dash and got his seal of approval. Now Dash is all set up with a new home & Rick has a new friend.
