Movement Ecology and Hematology of the Florida East Coast Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin tequesta) in the Central Indian River Lagoon

Diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) are an exclusively brackish water turtle found along the east coast of the United States. Very little is known about the Florida east coast diamondback terrapin (M. t. tequesta). This study examined wild terrapins in the central Indian River Lagoon to establish baseline population parameters for the species in this region. Morphometrics were assessed for the sampled animals, reinforcing findings of sexual dimorphism for the species. Acoustic monitoring was used to investigate terrapin occupancy and habitat use. Occupancy differed seasonally, with the highest occupancy in the summer and fall, lower occupancy in the spring, and the lowest occupancy in the winter. Terrapins were detected most commonly and spent a high percentage of their time in the southern portion of the study site. Reference blood chemistry values were established for the population. This study provided baseline information on a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Florida.