In Search of...

East Coast Diamondback Terrapins.

Daytona Beach to Melbourne

In 2005 I realized I had never seen a wild Diamondback Terrapin in the twelve years I have been in Florida. I haven't spent a lot of time in coastal areas, but I have spent some and always kept an eye out for them. So I set out to find and photograph some for this site. What follows is my search for East Coast Diamondbacks.

My search began (and is so far limited to) the north end of Mosquito Lagoon. I stopped at the Visitor's Center on my way into the park. My hopes of finding Diamondbacks were immediately buoyed when I saw this shell among a collection of park artifacts.

When I asked the ranger about the shell, she said it was in the center when she started working 7 years earlier and to her knowledge Diamondbacks hadn't been seen in the park for some time. Undeterred, because people often overlook turtles,  I set out into the park.

Not that it matters to the story, but notice the abnormal scute pattern? It is more common in captive hatched animals, but it does occur in the wild.

It was a beautiful July day. Clear, hot, and sunny. The water in the lagoon was rather warm. The Lagoon is aptly named as I learned years ago during UCF Herpetology trips. At night, or when in the shade you are immediately besieged by mosquitoes. Repellant is a must.

Male Fiddler Crab Uca pugilator. These were everywhere in the lagoon. As I coasted up to islands in the kayak, swarms of them would retreat to the cover of vegetation or their holes on shore.

Princess of the Night Selenicereus pteranthus.

Giant Hermit Clibanarius vittatus.

The Hairy Pod Cowpea Vigna luteola was widespread on the islands in the lagoon.

Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis.

Manatees Trichechus manatus latirostrus. These animals typically exhibit the kind of speed you would expect from a waterlogged sofa. However, these three were rather worked up. Just as I approached to take this picture, two of them (belly to belly) barreled alongside my kayak with a third one following right behind. Courtship? Mating? Judging by size, it was probably two males and a female, though I didn't get out to check.

Raccoon Procyon lotor print. I found these throughout the lagoon on shore and in the shallows.

I can't say that Diamondbacks are not in the Lagoon. I was only there for 10 hours. It could simply have been the wrong time of year. But I didn't see a turtle or even a sign of them.

Let's take another look at that shell from the visitors center. The front and rear limbs were snapped (or chewed) off. This was most likely done by a raccoon, which are evidently quite common in the park.

In the 1980 (pages 87-89) "Journal of Herpetology" there is an article by Richard Seigel on predation of Malaclemys terrapin tequesta by raccoons in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. In one year he found 24 freshly killed females along a half kilometer section of dike.

Raccoons have proliferated in man's wake and have become a problem for a lot of species. Raccoons are not the only problem Diamondbacks face. They are still drowned in crab traps and for years they were collected for the food market and the pet trade.  In fact, just before the species became protected in Florida I saw a surge of WC animals at wholesale reptile dealers. Literally hundreds at a time.

After the Lagoon I hit the beach side to take some pictures.

This is Passion Flower Passiflora incarnata.

Indian Blanket Flower Gaillardia pulchella.

Cucumber-leaf Sunflower Helianthus debilis.

Views from the Turtle Mound. The water on the left is the Atlantic and on the right is Mosquito Lagoon.

Mosquito Lagoon seen from the Turtle Mound. The Turtle Mound is a large shell midden of the Timucuan Indians.

Ghost Crab Ocypode quadrata burrow. These crabs are predators of hatchling sea turtles.

A Loggerhead Sea Turtle nest. The marker contains information for the biologists. The screen is to keep raccoons out of the nest. This nest was built too close to the water and is likely to get washed out.

Turtle tracks.

I think this is a beached Moon Jellyfish Aurelia aurita.

Balloon trash commonly washes up. This and other plastic trash can be mistaken for Jellyfish, a food item for many Sea Turtles. The plastic can't be digested and can block the turtle's digestive system eventually killing the turtle.

The park has free turtle walks. You have to reserve a spot in advance. I was able to get in without a reservation because some people didn't show. Unfortunately, this was one of the few nights that they didn't have a nesting by the cutoff time. Still, the presentation was interesting and I would recommend the walks to anyone interested in Sea Turtles.

Some of the confiscated items on display in the center. Be aware that Sea Turtles are federally protected. This protection is not limited to the live turtles, it also includes stuffed specimens and pieces and parts.

Totals as of mid July for the Canaveral National Seashore.

Display in the visitor's center showing hatching in progress.

The search continues on Page 2.