The turtles are also abundant in the Gulf Coast, from Florida to Texas. A grayish to nearly black carapace usually has spots or streaks of black on gray skin, making Malaclemys terrapin one of the darkest turtle species. The skull has a long, bony temporal arch. The hind legs are relatively large and the toes are webbed beyond the bases of the nails. This species is known to have the greatest sexually dimorphic size disparity found in any North American turtle.
Males are usually smaller in both body and head size, while the females are large.
Females often attain carapace length of 9 inches, while males usually reach a maximum of 5.5 inches. They use the ridges in their jaw to crush their prey. While all turtles reproduce by eggs, the genus Malaclemys usually does not produce more than 4-8 eggs in a clutch. Females typically nest several times annually. The duration of incubation varies between 60 and 85 days, depending on soil temperature and nest depth.