The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-06-04
THE DIAMOND-BACK
TERRAPIN In roll INA
His Rapid Disappearance in All Species, Particularly in
North Carolina, for Last Several Years-The
Necessity for His Preservation.
(By Joseph Hyde Pratt.)

try tndt mas not received the dCIontlOn
which | believe it deserves is the con-
servation and the cultivation Of the
liamond-back terrapin. This variety
Of turtle is perhaps the most aluable
and most desired Of any that are mar
keted. 1t is widespread in it's occur
renee, being found along the Atlantic
and Gulf coasts Of the United States
from Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts,
10 Texas.
For some time all the terrapins
found along the coast were included
in the one species, but in 1904 Mr..
Az. +. Hay, as the result of a careful
investigation and comparison Of many
specimens from nan localities
showed that there are several species
distributed about as follows:
Malaclemmys centrata Latreille).
The Carolina Terrapin. From the
neighborhood Of Cape Hatteras south
ward to the coast OF Florida.
The subspecies, M. centrata concen-
trica shaw. The Chesapeake Ter
rapin. From Buzzard's Bay, Massa-
chusetts to Virginia or North Caro-
lima; Long Island Sound, Delaware
and Chesapeake Bay, etc. (See PL.
IL. A and b.
VI. macrospilota (Hay). The Flori-
da Terrapin. Western Coast Of
Florida.
NJ. Pileata (Maximilian zu Wied).
The Louisiana Terrapin. So far as
known, the range Of this terrapin is
along the Gulf coast from the region
about the mouth Of the Mississippi
river eastward as far as Mobile Bay.
and possibly we'll along the coast of
Florida
M. littoralis (Hay). Coast of Texas
and outlying islands.
Both Nj. centTata and it's subspecies,
Nj. ccntrata c~OncenLica, the Caro-
lima" and the chesapeake" t~errapinS,
respectively, occur in North Carolina,
but in varying proportions in different
localities.
These two types seem to be gener-
ally accepted by the terrapin dealers.
but the differences between the two
are not so distinct, that one can al
ways distinguish he two forms. n
difficulty is especially true in North
Carolina where the two types inter-
mingle,
In North Carolina the diamond
back terrapin is restricted in its &C.
currence to regions Of salt and brack-
ish water, not a the terrapln Is
dependent on salt water, for they
have been kept alive many years IN
fresh water: but probably because the
distribution Of its natural food sup
ply is confined to salt and brack1sh
waters. AS determined by DR.. r. f.
Cocker. the food Of the terrapin IN
North Carolina consists largely Of the
bLiddA Sldl, 1AOOTI1lo AIOH va \ooJJ
which is found exceedingly abundan1
on the blades Of marsh grass (Spar:
tina) small crabs. such as the fiddler
crab (G~elasimus); and at least ont
species Of annilid worm. The terra
pins that were kept in confinement il
the experimental terrapin pond a
Beaufort were fed IN fish, blue crabs
etc.
DR.. Cocker examined the stomach
of fourteen terrapinS, all OF which
contained the remains Of from two t.
one hundred and ffty-three Snails
six contained remains of crabs, an
five contained the remains Of Anniid
fworms).
Since it is probable that the foo
has much to do with the quality o
the meat Of the t%errapin, it would b
essential for the purposes OF h prac
teal breeder to know definitely VIVA
is the natural food of the diamond
backs in the localities where the bes
specimens are found. Hence, 1t
important that more complete obser
Patlons be made on this subject, espe
cially on the feeding habits of terra
pins in different geographic region
and In different localities.
The supply of terrapin in Mort
Carolina has been constantly decreas
ing for many years and now there ar
no localities where the fishermen 1et
that 1T is profitable to work simpl
ior the terrap1n. MOST OF InOSe ulo
are now put on the market frol
North Carolina are obtained by tn
fishermen while in pursuit Of som
other product of the sea
The question that confronts US i
North Carolina is, can any plan E
devised by which a marine anims
which was formerly very abunda1
hut is now very scarce again be mao
Will the demand for an
value of the terrapin warrant tn
state attempting to prevent its exte1
NIL alton?
Fifty years ago, when the sher
products Of Carteret county we
either used only for home consumI
ton or else almost entirely neglecte'
terrapins were bought for seventy-f,
cents per dozen. It seems to hay
been in tho vote c;vf;oo that Ohinnir