Diamondback Terrapin

Template:Infobox The Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is the only turtle native to Connecticut which lives in brackish water such as marshes and estuaries.

Conservation Status

Despite a historic decline in population, Diamondback Terrapins have rebounded to some degree and their population is relatively stable in Connecticut and elsewhere.

They are not listed on Connecticut's 2010 Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Species List<ref name="ct-etsc-reptiles">Connecticut. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Endangered, Threatened & Special Concern Reptiles. 2010. Web. <http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2702&q=323484&depNav_GID=1628>.</ref>, nor are they listed as a Federal Endangered Species. Although the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies M. terrapin as a Lower Risk (LR) species, it is sub-classified as near-threatened (nt)<ref name="iucn-1996">"Malaclemys terrapin." The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. International Union for Conservation of Nature, 1996. Web. 24 May 2012. <http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/12695/0>.</ref>.

Confirmed Location & Sightings

Although Diamondback Terrapins aren't especially rare in Connecticut, I have only seen one individual in the wild.

McKinney National Wildlife Refuge (Salt Meadow Unit/Menunketesuck Island)

On July 11, 2010, I photo-documented an M. terrapin specimen offshore of Westbrook, Connecticut, approximately 20 to 30 feet from the northern end of Menunketesuck Island. Menunketesuck Island is a portion of the Salt Meadow Unit of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge.

Although the area in the vicinity of Menunketesuck Island generally fits the profile of M. terrapin habitat (brackish estuary / close proximity to salt marsh), it has historically been quite unusual to find these turtles in Westbrook Harbor. Despite nearly 25 years of experience with coastal wildlife of Westbrook Harbor, this is the only instance in which I have observed M. terrapin.

References