endemic to a single nation

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Atlantic coast from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Length: 24 cm

Differs from subspecies CENTRATA in having the carapace widest in the posterior half (rather than carapace with nearly parallel sides) and plastron with nearly parallel sides (rather than narrower in the posterior half) (Conant and Collins 1991).

Comments: Coastal marshes, tidal flats, coves, estuaries, and lagoons behind barrier beaches; brackish and salt water (but basically restricted to estuarine situations; intolorant of long-term exposure to freshwater or 100% seawater). Burrows into mud when inactive (Ernst and Barbour 1972); in Virginia, has been observed hibernating in moist sand 8 m from the high tide mark. Hatchlings move to the closest terrestrial vegetation after emergence from nest. Small individuals may use cover of tidal wrack and dense mats of vegetation (Lovich et al. 1991). Eggs are laid in a nest dug in sandy marsh edge, offshore island, or dune (vegetated or unvegetated), above high tide mark. Nests of different females may be dispersed or aggregated.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Comments: Eats mainly marine clams, snails, worms, crabs; scavenges and takes live food (Ernst and Barbour 1972).

In New Jersey, egg survivorship to hatching was 0.23 (Burger 1977). In New York, conservative estimates yielded 344 terrapins in approximately 200 ha and 341 in about 12 ha (Morreale 1992). Juveniles rarely are recorded in population surveys.

Lays one or more clutches of 4-18 eggs, June-July in north. Eggs hatch in 9-15 weeks depending on temperature. Hatchlings may emerge from nest in late summer or fall or overwinter in nest. In New Jersey, most hatchlings emerge from the nest in the daytime, 1-9 days after hatching.

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: T4 - Apparently Secure

Comments: Threats include water pollution and development and heavy recreational use of beaches and dunes.

Comments: In New York, Korean Buddhists have released large numbers of captive terrapins and other turtles into the wild as a religious ceremony (Morreale 1992).