Terrapins [1]
Terrapins
by David Stick, 2006
[2]
See also: Diamondback Terrapin (from NC WINS) [3]
Terrapins, members of the tortoise order, are similar in appearance to many of the most common types of turtles. Best known of the North Carolina terrapins are the diamondbacks [3] (Malaclemys terrapin), which breed in marshy areas near the seacoast and were once a minor, though lucrative, part of the state's commercial fishing industry. Diamondback terrapin soup [4], made with sherry and a thick cream sauce, was considered a delicacy in northern cities before the Civil War [5].
The first recorded commercial terrapin catch in North Carolina occurred in February 1849, when the keeper of the Bodie Island lighthouse [6], using a specially designed dredge, caught 2,150 diamondbacks that he sold in Norfolk, Va., for $400. By 1880 the total marketed yield in the state was 123,000 pounds, but thereafter the terrapin fishery declined, with only occasional catches reported after World War II [7].
By the early 2000s, diamondbacks were threatened sufficiently by net fishermen and coastal development to be categorized as a "species of special concern." At the same time, the unique coloring and design on their shells has resulted in their being sought mainly by herpetologists and hobbyists.
References:
R. E. Coker, The Natural History and Cultivation of the Diamond-back Terrapin (1906).
"Hardluck Terrapin," Wildlife in North Carolina 64 (February 2000).
Image Credit:
"Diamondback East Coast Terrapin at the North Carolina Acquarium, Fort Fisher, NC., 110623. Malaclemys terrapin", 2011. Image courtesy of Flickr user Jerry Oldenettel. Available from http://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/5883025850/ [2] (accessed July 25, 2012).
Additional Resources:
Davidson Herpetology: http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_nc/turtles/Malter/malter.html [8]
NC Diamondback Terrapin Conservation Network: http://www.tortoisereserve.org/researchandconservation/ncterrapins/main.html [9]
NC Wildlife Resources Commissin: http://www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Learning/documents/Profiles/diamondback_091611.pdf [10]
1 January 2006 | Stick, David
