typhlonectes:Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin)There’s diamonds in them marshes! Well, Diam
typhlonectes:Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin)There’s diamonds in them marshes! Well, Diamondback Terrapins, to be more specific. These small turtles may be the only turtle species in the world to primarily inhabit brackish water in the wild, instead of specializing in salt or fresh water like other species. Diamondbacks live in coastal marshes along the Atlantic coast, spending most of their time swimming after invertebrate prey and basking along the surface of the water. Though they’re primarily aquatic, Diamondback Terrapins are born on land, like all turtles. Females leave the waterways in late spring to lay their eggs in nests dug into the dunes, sometimes crossing dangerous roads to reach prime nesting habitat.photograph by Jeffrey Shultz on Flickr; CCvia: Peterson Field Guides -- source link