Northern Diamondback Terrapin

[NonTypical]

Last year on July 10th, I spotted this girl in the first pic l in my backyard attempting to lay eggs on my beach. She spotted me and made a hasty retreat back to the water. 

So to my surprise, I was outside yesterday and once again I spotted another one in the process of digging out a nest for her eggs. Unfortunately she spotted me first and started to bail out and make a run to the water. They really move much faster than the box turtles I usually see. I set up my cam close by. Hopefully she comes back to finish up. The second pic is from yesterday.

I just thought it was pretty cool to see  I did some research and found out that they are endangered in Rhode Island and considered threatened in some other areas. They are also the only turtle that will inhabit salt and brackish water. 

 

[greybeard]

I see quite a few terrapins  here on western Long Island mostly on the north shore, but  I do see them on the south shore too. They seem to be numerous in one spot that I fish. I saw one laying eggs in Freeport one morning a few years ago.

I have accidentally snagged  them on the side of the shell a few times while retrieving a lure.

[NonTypical]

I just checked my cam and guess who came back to finish her thing. She made a new nest and went on her way. I'm going to get one of those tomato cages and put it over her nest to keep her eggs safe from the raccoons.

 

Edited June 25, 2017 by NonTypical

[Daveboone]

Cool. We don't have terrapins inland, but we have lots of snappers! A few years back my father in  law plowed up a field adjacent to a wetland to plant clover, Within a week or so, there were literally dozens of snapping turtles laying eggs  in the warm soil.

On a side note, we were at a wedding yesterday, where the receptions lodge had a deck overhanging a pond/ wetland. A large snapping turtle had learned to cruise just below the deck looking for hand outs....he would slowly cruise one group of people looking up for a tidbit, then quickly paddle over to the next to do the same. I was amazed to see that behavior.

[The_Real_TCIII]

I haven't seen a box turtle in 30 years, no luck finding them

[greybeard]

I would have liked to see a begging snapping turtle. I'd be amazed too.

When I was a kid and Long Island we would catch box turtles every summer. We'd keep them for a month, or so then release them. I still see them,  and wood turtles also on rare occasions in a wooded area not far from me. You can't catch them anymore as per NY law. As kids we  used to try to catch and release different types of turtles..... nice memories.

I see a lot of sliders in the ponds and guess that they were released originally by kids who used to buy them. At times, I  have seen them on sunny winter days, when I pickerel fished, which surprised me.

[NonTypical]

2 hours ago, Daveboone said:

Cool. We don't have terrapins inland, but we have lots of snappers! A few years back my father in  law plowed up a field adjacent to a wetland to plant clover, Within a week or so, there were literally dozens of snapping turtles laying eggs  in the warm soil.

I caught this old girl at the end of May laying eggs in a dirt pile at our work yard.

 

[NonTypical]

1 hour ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

I haven't seen a box turtle in 30 years, no luck finding them

There's plenty of them down here.

[The_Real_TCIII]

I always had turtles as a kid, I'd keep them in our garden. We'd catch lots of painted and musk turtles. It was an event to get your hands on a spotted turtle those are cool


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[greybeard]

great photos..Thanks for sharing them.

I caught 1 spotted turtle on eastern Long Island about 35 years ago when I was training a coonhound in an area with lots of ponds. I never saw one before, or after that on L.I.

I caught musk, and painted turtles a lot in lakes at Bear Mountain. I kept a baby musk turtle in a tank for a few years and then put him back where I found him. I named him Rockland. He ate a lot of my fish

One fall I was surf casting on the south shore of L.I. and saw a sea turtle. He must have gotten lost. Once, about 2 years ago, I found skeletal remains  of one here ...I see lots of them on a beach and got good pictures, but that;s  VERY FAR from Long Island.

[greybeard]

I have lots of pictures of sea turtles. Here's 2