Our roadkill figures show that between 500 to 600 are killed on the road every year. We're nowhere close to sustaining the population. In addition, says Wood, cars aren't the biggest terrapin killers. Diamondbacks are broad-spectrum carnivores, meaning they'll eat pretty much anything, and one of their favorite meals is the bait in commercial crab traps. Unfortunately, once they get into the trap they can't get out and eventually drown.
Wood says thousands of diamondbacks die in crab traps every year.
TEDs enable terrapins to escape but don't reduce the crab catch. Maryland has now followed suit, but in both cases the laws are somewhat limited, requiring TEDs in just a few restricted areas. Diamondbacks may live up to 40 years, but their infant mortality rate is extremely high. A cheap, effective way of protecting them on land hasn't yet been devised, Wood says. Continued research and environmental education is essential, and Wood hopes that the schoolchildren who participate in the terrapin release each June will be the conservationists of tomorrow.