Diamondback terrapins are turtles that inhabit estuaries along the east and Gulf coasts of the United States. They range from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to northern Mexico. Terrapins were harvested in the late 1800’s through the early 1900’s as a food source with a high demand leading to reductions in their populations across their range. In the 1930’s, terrapins became less desirable food sources and populations increased in areas with good habitat, but not much is known about populations in certain areas. What make terrapins so interesting are their markings, which are highly variable and prominent. Reasons for the variation include genetic diversity and some variations in their patterns could be linked to environmental conditions.
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Diamondback Terrapins of
Tampa Bay: an Educator’s Guide
Developed by George L. Heinrich, Timothy J. Walsh
and Dr. Joseph A. Butler
Illustrations by Charles H. Miller
Project Partners
Acknowledgements
We thank Charles H. Miller, Elizabeth A. Wallace and Jessica A. Waltman for assistance
with conceptual development of the diamondback terrapin board game. Christopher S.
Boykin kindly shared unpublished data from his Tarpon Key study site. Misty Cladas,
Robin Peacock, Elizabeth A. Wallace, and Jessica A. Waltman provided thoughtful review
of various sections of the educator’s guide. We are grateful to the Tampa Bay Estuary
Program for awarding a Bay Mini-Grant which funded this project.
Published by the Florida Turtle Conservation Trust (December 2010).
Note to Educators
Florida is geographically located in the second richest center of global diversity for
turtles and its wide variety of habitats support over 8% of the world’s known species.
Twenty-five (45.5%) of the 55 species found in the United States also occur in Florida,
with 18 (72%) of those considered by turtle biologists to be in need of conservation
attention. Florida’s significant habitat diversity and species richness not only make the
state a chelonian hotspot, but critical to the conservation of many species as well.
Turtles are ancient creatures that walked the earth with the dinosaurs and today are
important and visible elements in many ecosystems. Some species serve as barometers of
the environment (providing information on the health of their habitat), while others serve
as keystone, umbrella or flagship species. Conservation efforts on their behalf are also
beneficial to the ecosystems in which they are found. Certainly, the threats to Florida
turtles and their associated ecosystems present broad conservation challenges.
However, despite the apparent urge