Diamondback Terrapins of Tarpon Key

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Diamondback Terrapins of Tarpon Key
A PRODUCT OF THE COLLEGIUM OF NATURAL SCIENCES,
ECKERD COLLEGE, ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA
Figure 1
Introduction The Diamondback Terrapin
(Malaclemmys terrapin) is the only turtle of the
United States that lives in brackish and
estuarine waters. They range from the Corpus
Christi, Texas to Cape Cod, Massachusetts along
the Atlantic coastline. Terrapins have
physiological adaptations for living in high
salinity waters. Also, they are sexually
dimorhpic, the females are generally much larger
than the males. For a six year period C.S.
Boykin performed a survey on Tarpon Key. This
particular habitat is an exceptionally good one
for Terrapins. There is a sheltered lagoon and
an area that may be suitable for nesting. The
Diamondback terrapin is a species of special
concern, threatened, or endangered in many states
that fall in its range. The populations are
rarely studied and in most cases are considered
to be declining. This study will hopefully aid
to better understand the Terrapins are help to
stabilize their populations. Methods Study
Area- Tarpon Key, St. Petersburg, FL. (See Fig
1) Capture Methods- Several methods were
implemented to catch terrapins. There methods
include, using modified crab traps, hoop nets,
feeling in the mud, and searching the
mangroves. Marking- The majority of the
terrapins were pit-tagged, drilled/notched
marginal scutes, and were photographed for
accurate identification. Data Collection- For
each terrapin the mass, sex, and standard
plastron length (SPL) were taken. Analytical
Method Two models were used to estimate the
population size, a closed population model the
Lincoln-Peterson estimator, and an open model,
the Jolly-Seber estimator. Also, all the marked
individuals were categorized to make a size
dstribution chart. Lincoln-Peterson- Jolly-Seber
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Data/Results
Figure 2
Population Structure, Size Classes
Pictures
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Discussion
Figure 3
Population size, jolly-seber and Lincoln Peterson
Conclusion
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS