Diamondback endangered status??

[Alex, the Appalachian Naturalist]

Hi folks; I read a post that Terps were protected under the ESA. Not so, and in most states they are doing OK, though in some states they are declining. I did a Google search with the phrase “diamondback terrapin endangered status” and found a few web sites. Here are a few. http://www.uga.edu/srel/terrapin.htm http://www.bio.davidson.edu/Biology/herpcons/Herps_of_NC/turtles/malter.html http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/endspec/enspreptile.html Note this exerpt from this New York State website: “***Although this is a commercially harvested species*** (emphasis mine), apparently very few animals are exploited in this way. Surveys conducted in 1992 showed the species to be present in more areas than had previously been identified. For these reasons the diamondback terrapin is recommended for removal from the special concern list”. http://www.state.ma.us/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/nhrare.htm http://museum.nhm.uga.edu/gawildlife/reptiles/reptsp.html http://www.americanlizards.com/RichmondHerpandBug/EndangeredList/turtles.htm Special concern in VA http://users.erols.com/reptiles/turtles_of_virginia.htm http://www.nps.gov/bith/Tand%20E_species.htm http://nc-es.fws.gov/es/cntylist/carteret.html The bulk of this info is that they *may* be a species of special concern, but aren’t at this time, and probably any protection will be extended to subspecies. Note here that in most states it is lawful to “take”, as in to capture for eating, for pets etc., any species of reptile not protected under that state’s endangered or threatened species laws. In NC it is OK for a person to keep 5 reptiles without needing a permit. In many states (see the NY site above) they are caught for food, mainly for the Oriental food trade, but NYC doesn’t see it as a problem. I doubt NY would view someone keeping a hatchling as a problem either. I am usually on the side of people wanting them to be “wild and free”, but I feel some take it too far. First, a hatchling’s probability of surviving to adulthood is slim to none; it’s why mom lays several hundred eggs over her life time – one of them will hopefully replace her in the population. One out of several hundred. Also, if you are able to catch a hatchling and release it, likely the next heron, snake, raccoon, weasel, crow, wild dog or ghost crab will do it, and won’t release it. If you do as the folks in Maryland, who are taking hatchlings and raising them to a stage where they are past most predation and releasing them in their original home range, then you will increase the population. Note that they are (I think) protected as threatened in Maryland. If you catch a hatchling in a state where they are not threatened under that state’s laws, you might realize that you may be able to keep it, but you will have to watch out for disease, failure to thrive, or other things that allowed you to catch the hatchling in the first place; most hatchlings are fast at getting away, and those that aren’t might have something wrong with them. I would NOT get it near any captive raised turtles until it has been thoroughly checked out by a vet and quarantined. Please don’t ever take an adult reptile out of the population; this is your breeding stock, and a population that is just hanging on can not support the loss of a breeder. Hatchlings have a lot of hurdles to go through (or not) to get to this stage, and only 1 out of 1000 or so will make it. Alex Netherton, the Appalachian Naturalist alex@… Asheville, NC http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mountainbirding/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/appalachian-naturalist-news/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/carolinanaturalist/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/carolinaponds/

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