Diamondback Terrapin

About the Diamondback Terrapin

The diamondback terrapin or simply terrapin (Malaclemys 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.

The name "terrapin" is derived from the Algonquian word torope. It applies to Malaclemys terrapin in both British English and American English. The name originally was used by early European settlers in North America to describe these brackish-water turtles that inhabited neither freshwater habitats nor the sea. It retains this primary meaning in American English. In British English, however, other semi-aquatic turtle species, such as the red-eared slider, might also be called terrapins.

The common name refers to the diamond pattern on top of its shell (carapace), but the overall pattern and coloration vary greatly. No two diamondback terrapins look alike. The carapace is usually wider at the back than in the front, has a more or less pronounced central ridge... Wikipedia →