A specialized salt-marsh turtle with concentric "diamond" patterns on each shell scute. Once harvested for soup to near-extinction, they remain threatened by crab traps and shoreline development.

Native status: Native; vulnerable

§ Quick facts

SizeShell length 18–28 cm (7–11 in)
Weight450–1,400 g (1–3 lb)
LifespanWild 30–40 years
OrderTestudines
FamilyEmydidae

§ Encyclopedia

The diamondback terrapin or simply terrapin is a species of terrapin native to the brackish coastal tidal marshes of the East Coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico coast, as well as in Bermuda. It belongs to the monotypic genus Malaclemys. It has one of the largest ranges of all turtles in North America, stretching as far south as the Florida Keys and as far north as Cape Cod.

Source: Wikipedia — Diamondback terrapin Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Distinctive diamond-pattern shell; gray-brown coloration; small head.

Similar species. Other turtle species. Map Turtles (different ranges).

Voice. Hisses defensively.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Omnivorous: insects, fish, plants.

Behavior. Brackish water specialist. Among very few US turtles that live in salt marshes.

§ Range

Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Cape Cod to Texas

§ Habitat

Coastal salt marshes and estuaries — the only US turtle adapted to brackish water

§ Threats

Crab pot drowning (a major mortality source), loss of marsh edge to sea-level rise, road mortality on coastal causeways.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the diamondback terrapin is currently classified as Vulnerable.

§ What helps

Support BRDs (bycatch reduction devices) in crab traps. Maintain coastal marsh buffer zones. Drive carefully on causeway roads in nesting season.

Support our work More ways to help

§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • USFWS
  • iNaturalist
  • IUCN Red List 2010