The Dazzling Carapace of The Flower-back Ornate Diamondback Terrapin!
Nature at its finest!
The Diamondback is Maryland's State reptile & the mascot of the University of Maryland!
Scientific name.
Malaclemys terrapin is the only species in its genus. It belonged to the Emydidae family, which includes 50 species & 19 genera.
Diamondbacks get their name from the natural pattern on the scutes of their shell. It has the appearance of a diamond shape filled with concentric circles that make the terrapin an easy species to identify.
The Diamondback terrapin is a turtle species native to the eastern & southern United States and Bermuda.
The shell is wedge-shaped, and the coloring can vary from brown to grey, while its body color can be grey, brown, yellow, or white, with a unique pattern of black markings or spots on its body & head.
The female is about 9.4 inches long. However, she can grow to 11 inches. Adult females have larger heads, wider jaws & shorter tails than males.
The male is 5.5 inches in length.
Terrapin males reach their breeding size in 3–4 years, whereas females need 5–7 years.
