Which ornate?

[Chun-Ming Chew]

Attachments :Charlie, Welcome to the group. We would love to see a pic of the t-shirt if possible. Actually, what we really want to see is your 5″ dbt!:) Speaking of ornates, I think it may be time to clarify the title “ornate.” So far, the term has been loosely applied to 3 different subspecies from what I can gather (personally, I’ve even heard a 4th. subspecies with an ornate morph but only once so I won’t include it here). I believe this is due to ignorance and or unlicensed creativity on the behalf of herp distributors, wholesalers and retailers. Here are my definitions of ornates as I know them: 1) Taxonomically, the true ornate of the subspecies is the Florida west coast dbt, Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota. This subspecies is considered the cadillac of the species with good reason. Sporting a dark carapace with orange-centred scutes and white to grey peppered skin, this subspecies’ contrasting colors are definitelly pleasing to the eye. Vickie has a picture of one in the subspecies folder. I think we as a group should always acknowledge this subspecies as the ornate dbt and reference other so-called “ornates” with a subspecies following as Charlie did with “ornate northern.” 2) There are 2 other subspecies of dbts that look very similar and are often mislabeled ornates. The Carolinan diamondback, Mt.t centrata, normally a drab creature, boasts a genetic variation with pure white skin, black streaks and blotches including teardrop designs under the eyes. Coupled with an orange carapace with dark concentric circles on their scutes, this is definitely my favorite subspecies. Attached is a picture by David Scott. According to David, this particular female was photographed at the Edisto River, several miles inland of Edisto Beach near Charleston, SC. R.D. Bartlett has a similar picture of one that is labeled M.t. macrospilota – I would disagree with this and believe it’s M.t. centrata. Those of you who live in Tampa should be able to vouch for its validity or not! I’ve also uploaded Bartlett’s picture. 3) The 3rd. subspecies is very similar to the Carolinan one but exists further north. This northern variation has identical skin markings but has more variation in background skin coloring from white to dark grey. I believe these are the ones currently being offered in the pet trade as ornates northern. I’m attaching a pic of a female digging a nest in Tuckerton Marsh, New Jersey. The pic was taken by Stu Weiss. Well, let me know what you guys think about all these ornates. I’ve even heard the term ornate applied to Texans! Too much! Chun

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