Not Just SEA Turtle Nest Monitoring

On May 17th, Steve and I were saying good-bye to Adam, our boss's 2nd in command, at the dock.  As we we parked the truck, we noticed a diamondback terrapin laying a nest.  

Covering the nest.

Diamondback terrapins are the only turtle that lives in brackish water.  They inhabit coastal waters from New England to Texas.  The turtle suffered years of unregulated harvest for food in the 1800 to early 1900s and the species suffered for it.  Fortunately, despite habitat destruction, the diamondback terrapin has made a good recovery in most of their existing range.

We learned last year that the dirt parking lot is a popular nesting place for terrapins, however, the trucks and raccoons are too dangerous to their safety.  With Adam's tips, we relocated the nest.

Steve looking for the eggs.

First of seven eggs

Diamondback terrapin egg

A very familiar position.

The nest is being incubated in a cooler on our porch.  It should hatch in a similar time frame to the sea turtles, around 60 days.  We have a thermometer in the dirt, and guessing it is averaging mid to high 80s, the nest will most likely be female.  

According to several websites, we can raise the young for some time to increase their chances of survival.  Under our care, the hatchlings would grow much faster, and therefore be stronger at release.  Steve and I haven't yet decided on a plan since we're not set up for taking care of turtles.  Stay tuned!

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island has a conservation plan for diamondback terrapins that are impacted by the road that connects the mainland with the island.  To learn more about their efforts saving diamondback terrapins, visit their website.