Diamondback Terrapins Need our Help

Originally published in Seven Mile Times' Momorial Day issue, 5/19/2015

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In every outthrust headland, in every curving beach, ...

DIAMONDBACK TERRAPINS NEED OUR HELP,

And We Need Theirs

By Dr. Lenore Tedesco of The Wetlands Institute

A child holds a terrapin

A terrapin blocked by fence installation

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f you frequent Seven Mile Beach, undoubtedly you have come in contact with our local salt-marsh turtles. If you see a diamondback terrapin on land, it is a female. Only females are found on land because they are looking for a place to lay their eggs. Male terrapins never leave their marsh habitat.

Diamondback terrapins are unique in that they are the only turtles that live their entire lives in coastal salt marshes. They are more closely related to freshwater turtles than to sea turtles, and have unique adaptations for life in the back-bay waters. You can find diamondback terrapins from Maine to the Gulf Coast, but their populations are in decline across their range. Major threats to terrapins include commercial collection for food and pets, habitat destruction, drowning in fishing gear, and road mortality.

Diamondback terrapins are a keystone species of the marsh. They are meat-eaters, and one of their primary food sources is the marsh periwinkle snail. These snails feed on marsh grasses, and without healthy populations of terrapins to control snail populations, large sections of the marsh would be stripped of vegetation and lost – thus robbing our coastal communities of the storm protections afforded by healthy marsh ecosystems.

Development and heavy use of the terrapin’s salt-marsh and barrier-island habitat has led to stark declines in terrapin numbers. Locally, each year more than 500 nesting female terrapins are hit by vehicles, more than 700 hatchling terrapins become trapped in storm drains, and hundreds of terrapins die by drowning in crab traps. Such losses are unsustainable to the population without our intervention.

Memorial Day 2015

A female terrapin

For more than 20 years, the Diamondback Terrapin Conservation Program at The Wetlands Institute has promoted the conservation of diamondback terrapins through applied research, advocacy, citizen science projects, and education programs.

The Institute and local partners work to reduce road mortality by installing and maintaining terrapin barrier fencing along the causeways to keep terrapins from entering high traffic areas. Unfortunately, barrier fencing can only be installed in areas away from houses and driveways, thus leaving large sections of roadways open for terrapin mortality.

In late May through July, female diamondback terrapins emerge from the salt marsh to search for a site to lay their eggs. During this search, females cross busy roads and risk death or injury from

vehicles. The Wetlands Institute monitors more than 38 miles of local roads for terrapins to rescue nesting females in harm’s way and provide treatment for injured terrapins. We also record the location and condition of all terrapins encountered. You have probably seen the patrols on area roadways.

Unfortunately, these road patrols encounter high numbers of killed nesting females that we retrieve from roadways.

In an effort to help reduce the population impact of so much roadkill, we implement an intensive program to rescue orphaned eggs. In our lab, eggs from roadkilled terrapins are recovered, incubated and hatched. The incubation temperatures of orphaned eggs are controlled to ensure that females will develop to help replace the females being lost on roadways. After emerging, these “head-start” hatchlings

Terrapin crossing sign

Terrapin barrier fence installation

are transferred to Stockton University’s “turtle farm” and partner schools for 10 months of care, giving them a safe environment to grow. After spending most of a year growing, these orphaned turtles are released back into the marsh.

The 1-year-old terrapin’s larger size increases the chance that it will survive and return to nest in 6 years or so. Terrapins are released back into the marsh through a series of public events.

Our Adopt-A-Terrapin program (wetlandsinstitute.org/conservation/terrapin-conservation/adopt-a-terrapin/) helps offset some of the costs of the Terrapin Conservation Program and affords some supporters with the opportunity to participate in terrapin releases. We also receive some funding through the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund. Area schoolchildren help raise terrapins in their classroom through our “Terrapins In The Classroom” Program. This program created a comprehensive terrapin-based curriculum for students and educators in grades K-8 and for participating schools culminates with the children releasing the terrapins they helped raise. Additionally, the general public can participate in terrapin releases every Tuesday beginning in the midsummer during Totally Turtle Tuesday programs at The Wetlands Institute.

In addition to the barrier fencing, road patrol and head-starting projects, our terrapin conservation activities also include installing exclosure cages over terrapin nest sites, which protect buried eggs from predators. To better understand the dynamics of our local terrapin population, we microchip adult, juvenile and head-start terrapins. The microchips are the same that you might use on your cat or dog. We capture nesting female terrapins after they have nested and protect the continued on page 44 WWW.SEVENMILETIMES.COM

Originally published in Seven Mile Times' Momorial Day issue, 5/19/2015 is the story of the ... in every grain of sand there l Carson earth. ~Rache

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DIAMONDBACK TERRAPINS NEED OUR HELP, TERRAPINS: WHAT TO DO?

And We Need Theirs

Protecting our local environment is most effective when it is a

By Dr. Lenore Tedesco of The Wetlands Institute effort. Thank you to everyone who is doing their part! community-wide PLEASE REMEMBER… • Terrapins are wild animals; please leave them in their wild homes.

• If you find an injured terrapin, call The Wetlands Institute at 609-368-1211 with any questions.

Terrapin hatchlings continued from page 42 A child holds a terrapin

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nests from predators. While we are examyouterrapins frequent Mile Beach, iningf the forSeven age and health, we undoubtedly havealready comehas in also determine if thisyou terrapin contact with our local salt-marsh one of our microchips. turtles.

If youhas seeshown a diamondback Our research that terraterrapin on remarkably land, it is a female.

Onlyto females pins are faithful nest are found on land because they are looking sites, with many returning year after for a place to lay eggs.areas.

Male terrapins year to nest in their the same We also never their marsh habitat. return to have leave shown that hatchlings terrapins are born. unique the Diamondback area near where they were A in that theyWetlands are the Institute only turtles that visit to The and walk live their livesTrail in coastal down the entire Salt Marsh providessalt an marshes.

Theyto aresee more closely related opportunity these exclosures to freshwater turtles, and also learnturtles aboutthan manytoofsea the terraand uniquethere. adaptations life pins have that nested Last year,for almost in the back-bay waters. can find 150 nesting terrapins wereYou captured and diamondback terrapins from Maine to examined at the Institute.

Ninety-nine the Coast, but their haveGulf been captured at thepopulations Institute in are in years decline their range.

Major prior andacross six were from orphaned threats to were terrapins include commercial eggs that head-started.

These terracollection forproductive food and adults pets, habitat pins are now helping destruction, drowning in fishing gear, to support the population. and road mortality.we also run a citiIn addition, Diamondback terrapins are a zen-based storm-drain rescue initiative, keystone species of the and recover derelict crabmarsh. traps They from are the meat-eaters, andthe onewinter. of their back bays during Theprimary data we food sources isisfascinating the marshand periwinkle are collecting provides snail.

Theseinto snails feed grasses, a glimpse the lifeon of marsh diamondback and without populations terrapins that healthy is critically important of to terrapins to control helping guide localsnail andpopulations, range-wide large sections of the eff marsh would be terrapin conservation orts. All of these stripped of vegetation and lostsupport – thus conservation initiatives directly robbing ourmortality coastal communities the reducing of terrapinsof and storm protections afforded by healthy helping to sustain their populations. marsh A ecosystems. key component of our conserDevelopment heavy use of vation initiatives is and creating an ethic of the terrapin’s salt-marsh and barrier-isconcern and care for terrapins.

Important land habitat has led to stark declines components of our program include in terrapin numbers.advocacy Locally, and each year public engagement, educamore than 500 nestinghave female terrapins tion. These programs helped make are by vehicles, moreof than 700 hatchthehit community aware diamondback ling terrapins become trapped storm terrapins and how we can betterin coexist. drains, and hundreds terrapins is dienot by Although eatingof terrapin drowning crab traps.

Suchinlosses areth as popularintoday as it was late 19 unsustainable the population to early 20th to century, harvest without for the our petintervention. trade and food markets overseas Memorial Day 2015

is a growing concern and a continuing impact to diamondback terrapin populations. Currently it is legal to harvest diamondback terrapins in New Jersey.

Current harvest regulations have been subject to increased opposition recently, with an apparent increase in pressure from harvesting on New Jersey’s terrapin population.

Last year, 3,500 terrapins A female terrapin were taken and shipped out of state. In For more than 20 years, Diamondaddition, NJ Division of Fishthe and Wildlife back Terrapin Conservation Program at Conservation Officers recently caught The Wetlands has harvested promoted fishermen whoInstitute had illegally the conservation diamondback terraan additional 800ofterrapins in Absecon pins applied research, advocacy, Bay. through As a result of these events, the citizen projects, and closed education terrapinscience harvest has been for programs. one year as of March 2015 to allow the The Institute and status local partners work terrapin population and current to reduceregulations road mortality byreviewed. installing harvest to be and maintaining terrapinaction barriermay fencing Further conservation be along the causeways considered, and there to arekeep bills terrapins pending from high traffic in theentering state legislature thatareas. wouldUnformake tunately, barrier can only be the harvest of wildfencing diamondback terrainstalled in areas houses pins illegal.

One away bill isfrom pending in and the driveways, leaving large sections of Assembly thus (Bill A3932) and one in the roadways for terrapin mortality.

Senate (Billopen S2615).

The closure will allow Maytothrough July, female timeInforlate NJDFW assess the impact of diamondback the the harvest onterrapins terrapins,emerge and thefrom sustainsalt marsh to search for a site to lay their ability of any future harvest. eggs.ByDuring search, females cross saving,this rehabilitating, rescuing busy roads andterrapins, risk deathadvocating or injury from and releasing for them, and removing and minimizing hazards, we are able to contribute positively to the status of the local terrapin population. Please help! Slow down and be aware of nesting terrapins crossing roadways. If you can safely stop, help them across the road in the direction they are traveling. Terrapins perform valuable services to the Seven Mile community through their wetland-protection activities. If you would like to help support diamondback terrapin conservation through volunteer efforts or by donating to the program, information is available on the Institute’s website or contact the Institute directly. This is a massive effort – and it takes a community.

Terrapin crossing sign

There’s a terrapin on the road!

• Wait for the terrapin to cross, or carefully help her cross in the direction she is going. She may have eggs, so be gentle!

• If the terrapin is injured, gently place her in a box and call us.

There’s a terrapin nesting in my yard!

A terrapin blocked by fence installation • Quietly observe her from afar. She is easily frightened!

• Leave the nest site undisturbed. are transferred to Stockton University’s There’s a hatchling terrapin!“turtle farm” and partner schools for 10 months ofsituation, care, giving them a safe • Unless the terrapin is in a life-threatening please environment to grow.

After spending leave it alone. most of a year growing, these orphaned • If it is in danger: Take the terrapin to the nearest salt marsh. turtles are released back into -the marsh.

Release it underneath the fallen grasses along the marsh The 1-year-old terrapin’s larger size not in the water. vehicles. The Wetlands Institute moni- increases the chance that it will survive tors more than 38 miles of local roads and return to nest in 6 years or so. Terrafor terrapins to rescue nesting females pins are released back into the marsh in harm’s way and provide treatment through a series of public events. for injured terrapins. We also record the Our Adopt-A-Terrapin program location and condition of all terrapins (wetlandsinstitute.org/conservation/terraencountered. You have probably seen the pin-conservation/adopt-a-terrapin/) helps Wetlands Institute is openoffset daily some from 9:30am-4:30pm withTerrapin patrols on areaThe roadways. of the costs of the extended evening hourspatrols and activities until 8pmProgram Tuesday-Thursday Unfortunately, these road Conservation and affords some 16-Sept.

3. Activities encounterfrom highJune numbers of killed nesting include: supporters with the opportunity to particfemales that we retrieve from roadways. ipate in terrapin releases. We also receive • Saltreduce Marshthe Safari In an effort to help population some funding through the Disney Wildlife • Creature impact of so much roadkill,Feature we implement Conservation Fund. Area schoolchildren • Catchtoo’rescue the Day an intensive program orphaned help raise terrapins in their classroom • Hooked on Fishing and Crabbing at the eggs. In our lab, eggs from roadkilled through our Dock “Terrapins In The Classroom” Totally Turtle Tuesdays and Horseshoe Crabmania terrapins are •recovered, incubated and Program. This programThursdays created a compre• Kayak and PaddleboardofBack-Bay Tours hatched. The incubation temperatures hensive terrapin-based curriculum for • Back Bay Birding Wildlife Boat Tours orphaned eggs are controlled toand ensure students and educators in grades K-8 • And more!to help replace and for participating schools culminates that females will develop the females being lost on roadways. After with the children releasing the terraVisit“head-start” wetlandsinstitute.org a fullthey schedule ofraise. daily Additionally, activities emerging, these hatchlings forpins helped the and special events! general public can participate in terrapin releases every Tuesday beginning in the midsummer during Totally Turtle Tuesday programs at The Wetlands Institute.

In addition to the barrier fencing, Dr. Lenore P. Tedesco is the Executive road patrol and head-starting projects, Director of The Wetlands Institute in Stone our terrapin conservation activities also Harbor. Tedesco has a Ph.D. in marine geology include installing exclosure cages over and geophysics of Miami, terrapinfrom nest the sites,University which protect buried and a bachelor’s degree in geology from Boston eggs from predators.

To better understand University.the She joined of The Institute dynamics ourWetlands local terrapin popuin Octoberlation, 2011.we Prior to then,adult, she had beenand a microchip juvenile professor in the Department ofThe Earth Sciences at head-start terrapins. microchips are the same that you might on your Indiana-Purdue University for 21use years.

She cat hasor dog.

We capture nesting female terrapins focused her research activities on coastal and after theydynamics have nested protect the wetland ecosystem and and restoration.

Summer 2015 Happenings

Terrapin barrier fence installation

continued on page 44 WWW.SEVENMILETIMES.COM