Christina Mohrman- Mississippi Terrapins

Hello everyone,

Thank you for contacting me about being involved in your effort to find our more about diamondback terrapins. I would be glad to be involved in your blog. I have attached a photo of a diamondback terrapin from my area, the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, in southeastern Mississippi. (see aboe) The terrapins here are a different subspecies from yours, the Mississippi diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin pileata) instead of the northern diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin). The subspecies name (pileata) means capped and refers to the dark diamond-shaped patch that most MS diamondback terrapins have on top of their head. The photo is of an adult female terrapin on a nesting beach.

Also, I worked at the Wetlands Institute in New Jersey, so I helped the Jordan Road School class that you mentioned on your blog. You can probably get updates on what they are currently doing from the Wetlands Institute. Several classes are involved in raising terrapins and at the end of the school year they all come to the Wetlands Institute and release their turtles. It is a great program.

I look forward to being in touch with all of you soon.

~Christina

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Christina Mohrman
Coordinator, Environmental Cooperative Science Center
Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

christina.watters@dmr.ms.gov