Did You Know! "Adult male terrapins are significantly smaller than adult females in weight and carapace length. Males reach a maximum shell length of 5.5 inches, while females can grow up to 11 inches. Adult females also have larger heads, wider jaws and shorter tails than males. Nesting terrapin females are vulnerable to predation by raccoons. Eggs and hatchlings are preyed upon by a wide variety of animals including crabs, crows, gulls, herons, rats, muskrats, foxes, raccoons, skunks and mink. Survival rates of nests and hatchlings are very low due to predation and flooding." (https://aqua.org/explore/animals/diamondback-terrapin)

A little enrichment never hurts! Tiff is working hard to earn her fish heads!

"Diamondback terrapins are almost strictly carnivorous but sometimes ingest small amounts of plant material. They possess strong jaws and crushing plates in their mouths that enable them to eat hard-shelled prey, including aquatic snails, crabs and small bivalves, such as mussels and clams. They also eat carrion, fish, worms and insects. Diamondback terrapin populations have declined considerably in many parts of their geographic range and are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Terrapin populations fell to dangerously low levels in the 20th century after a long period of large-scale harvesting for their meat. Commercial harvest of terrapins ended in Maryland in 2007. Other factors causing declines in terrapin populations include the loss of salt marsh habitat and destruction of nesting beaches due to waterfront development, road mortalities of nesting females, boat strikes, bycatch and continued legal commercial harvesting in one state." (https://aqua.org/)

Did You Know! "Diamondback terrapins are active during daylight hours for most of the year. Within brackish water habitats, terrapins may be found basking in open or densely vegetated areas, submerged in muddy substrates, foraging on land or water and hiding under vegetation to protect themselves from predators or the elements. In Florida, males reach maturity between two and three years of age and females reach maturity between four and five years of age. Terrapins have been known to live for up to 40 years in captivity, and scientists estimate that they typically live for about 25 years in the wild. In Florida, courtship occurs in the spring, between March and May. Nesting usually takes place during the day in sparsely vegetative sandy areas above the high tide line. Nesting season occurs from April through July, but may be extended depending on the area. Females can lay two or three times per year, with clutch size ranging from five to ten eggs. Diamondback terrapins eat a variety of foods including snails, crabs, clams, mussels, worms, fish and plants." (https://myfwc.com/)

Did You Know! "Why do we call them terrapins and not turtles? Terrapins are a type of turtle. They can live in freshwater like some other turtles BUT can also live in saltwater, too. This type of mix of salty and fresh water is called brackish waters. Other types of turtles could not survive where the Diamondback Terrapins thrive. The shell or carapace of the terrapin has diamond shaped sections also called scutes. The rings of the scutes can help indicate the age of the terrapin. See the image to the left of a female terrapin's carapace." (https://www.margateterrapinrescue.org/diamondback-terrapins.html)

Did You Know! "Diamondback terrapins are medium-sized turtles that can be found in brackish water habitats throughout Florida. Five subspecies occur in Florida: Carolina (M. t. centrata), Florida east coast (M. t. tequesta), mangrove (M. t. rhizophorarum), ornate (M. t. macrospilota) and Mississippi (M. t. pileata). Three of these subspecies are endemic to Florida, meaning they can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Measuring at about 9.4 inches long, female diamondback terrapins are typically larger than males, which measure about 5.5 inches in length. Diamondback terrapins can usually be distinguished by the pattern on their shell, which consists of concentric rings and a “diamond-like” pattern with knobs along their backs. The shell is often multi-colored with outer rings being lighter than inner rings. In some cases, the shell is completely dark. The plastron, or underside of the shell, can be yellow or orange, though it is sometimes all black. Their skin is often grey to pale white with black spots or bars. Some individuals may lack markings, or may have a pink hue around the cheeks." (https://myfwc.com/)

If I make eye contact intensely enough, you will be hypnotised into feeding me some of those delicious treats up there!

She never misses a chance to dance for fish heads!