Diamondback Terrapin – Hatching Season

Camp SoundWaters ended two weeks ago, but not before our students got a treat, discovering a terrapin hatchling during a salt marsh exploration. Terrapins emerge from their nests during late summer/early fall, so it’s a good time to highlight this special (and cute) Long Island Sound creature. Females find a suitable place in early summer to lay their eggs in the sand or a marshy area, then don’t return to them until the eggs hatch, about 60-90 days later.

When they emerge from their nests, baby terrapins are very vulnerable and have many predators. They avoid open water and instead crawl towards thick vegetation and tall grasses (just like in this video). Males reach adulthood in 2-3 years, while females mature in 8-10 years. Diamondback terrapins live anywhere between 20-40 years.

If you are lucky enough to see a baby terrapin over the next month, do what Anna says and leave it be. Terrapin populations are already fragile and human encounters only add to their stress.