Diamondback terrapins are our only native brackish water specie of turtle. Terrapins are a unique specie that share some characteristics with sea turtles, such as salt glands that help remove excess salt from their bodies. They also have large rear webbed feet, compared to their freshwater cousins, that presumably evolved to help them cope with swimming against tidal currents found throughout saltwater marshes. Diamondback terrapins consume a variety of marsh species such as blue crabs, snails, fish and other crustaceans. They can be found along the Gulf coast and up the Atlantic seaboard. Florida represents 20% of the terrapin’s habitat. Diamondback terrapins require marsh and mangrove habitat to survive and require nesting habitat above the high tide line.
Our local sub species of diamondback terrapin along the west central Florida coast is known as the ornate diamondback terrapin. Females can grow to 10 to 12 inches of shell length while males tend to be smaller in the 5 to 8-inch range. Five of the seven subspecies can be found on the coasts of Florida.
The diamondback terrapin once was prized as a food source in the early 1900s and almost hunted to extinction. It is once again in serious decline. There are a multitude of reasons, but habitat loss, poaching for foreign markets, road mortality and crab traps have played a role. Blue crabs and terrapins share the same habitat. The terrapins can enter a crab trap to either feed on the crabs themselves or the bait used in the trap. Being an air breather, the terrapin has a hard time escaping and often drowns. Lost or derelict crab traps, also known as ghost traps, can do serious harm to local terrapin populations by continually trapping, not only terrapins, but other animals as well. This is an issue many coastal states, including Florida, are starting to address. There are many conservation groups involved with annual ghost trap clean ups, in coordination with FWC’s Blue Crab Closure specifically for this purpose. Additionally, a device known as a By Catch Reduction device that helps prevent terrapins from entering a trap while allowing crabs to enter will be required on recreational crab traps with funnel openings greater than 6 inches. This will go into effect March 2023. The Florida Wildlife Commission has also recently made it illegal to remove any diamondback terrapins from the wild. Please web search FWC diamondback terrapin to find additional information on this rarely known coastal inshore turtle that needs our help for species preservation.
Tight Lines,
Captain Don Stansell Don.stansell@yahoo.com
Capt. Don Stansell isa local marine biologist who is an avid outdoorsmen, fisherman and conservationist. He enjoys educating people on our coastal and marine environments. His passion for the water and outdoors grew from being raised on the bayous of Slidell, LA and in the Chesapeake Bay area of Annapolis, MD. He has been in sunny Florida for just over 20 years and really enjoys the outdoors year around.