Diamondback Terrapins Flashcards
Scientific Name of DiamondBack Terrapin
Malaclemys terrapin
Class of Terrapins
Reptillia
Bottom half of their shell
plastron
top half of shell
carapace
piece that connects plastron and carapace
bridge
the tooth that helps the turtle break out of their shell
egg/beak tooth
individual “squares” of a turtle’s shell
scute
what does sexually dimorphic mean
the difference in sexes of a species (size, color etc)
what does resilient mean
able to recover quickly
what is it called when a species is at risk of becoming endangered
threatened
ectotherm
cold blooded
what is brackish water
water that is slightly salty
clutch
a group of eggs in a nest
what is a bellwether species
Species that indicates something is wrong in the ecosystem, or that it is changing.
healthy organism = healthy environment
juvenile
bigger than a hatchling, not an adult yet - young turtle
Temperature-dependent sex determination
sex is determined by egg incubation temperature
< 82 degrees = male
> 86 degrees = female
Nest protector/predator excluder (PE)
device installed over or under a nest of eggs to protect them from predators.
Biodiversity
The number of different species in an area
Lifecycle
The full set of stages and transitions of life
–> hatchling –> juvenile –> adult
“Lost years”
the years where diamondback terrapins populations were decimated the most
Upland area
an area of high or hilly land.
Brumation
Hibernation
Site Fidelity
going back to the same area every year to lay eggs
what do terrapins eat and what eats them
prey - mussels, crab, minnows, snails, worms
predators - raccoons, crabs, gulls, rats
how do terrapins help their habitat
eating snails that are harmful in large numbers
what is the terrapins habitat
salt marshes
