The Diamondback Terrapin represents one of Massachusetts’ most remarkable reptiles—a species uniquely adapted to life in brackish coastal waters. Distinguished by their diamond-patterned shells and extraordinary ability to process both fresh and salt water, these turtles are the only North American species that lives exclusively in coastal estuarine environments.
Zoo New England has partnered with Mass Wildlife to advance our understanding of these fascinating creatures in Buzzards Bay. Thanks to generous funding from the Sarah K. de Coizart Perpetual Charitable Trust, 2025 marked our second year of comprehensive research into terrapin populations, behavior, and habitat use—critical knowledge for the conservation of this threatened species.
This year we implemented a systematic approach using randomized site selection across 31 different routes throughout the bay, with each location surveyed six times over the season. This randomization was essential for eliminating observer bias and ensuring our data could support robust statistical analysis.
Our survey period extended from late April, capturing the initial emergence from brumation (winter dormancy), through early September following post-nesting dispersal. This timing allowed us to document terrapin activity across their most active months.
Understanding Terrapin Activity Patterns
Our research revealed important insights about when and where terrapins are most observable. Visual encounters peaked during low tide periods when more basking sites become available on exposed rocks and logs. Weather conditions proved equally significant, with terrapin sightings most frequent during warm days with minimal cloud cover—conditions that optimize thermoregulation opportunities for these ectothermic reptiles.
“Catch and Release“
Beyond just looking for terrapins, we also trapped them safely to get a better understanding of the population. Using specialized nets, we captured an impressive 502 terrapins over nine weeks: 290 females, 134 males, and 78 juveniles. We also captured turtles by hand, bringing our total observations to 860. (To protect these threatened turtles from the risk of poaching we do not disclose specific survey locations.)
High-Tech Turtle Tracking
We are using underwater acoustic tracking technology to follow 54 female terrapins as they go about their daily lives. Think of it like a GPS tracker, but for underwater use. These tiny transmitter tags, made by InnovaSea, send signals to underwater receivers that detect when tagged terrapins swim by.
Working with Dr. Lucas Griffin and Ally Jones from the University of South Florida, plus partners from UMass Amherst, we’re learning how and when these turtles move around Buzzards Bay, which will provide valuable insight into their habitat needs and the best ways to help protect them and their habitat.
Beyond Research: Conservation in Action
Our work isn’t just about collecting data—we’re actively helping terrapins survive and thrive. This year, we:
- Removed dangerous ghost traps: We found and reported abandoned crab traps that can accidentally trap and kill terrapins
- Cleared nesting habitat: Working with Mass Wildlife, we cleared overgrown vegetation from prime nesting areas, which should help reduce the number of females crossing dangerous roadways to find suitable spots to lay their eggs
- Brought stakeholders together: We hosted a meeting in March where researchers, wildlife managers, and conservationists discussed new ways to protect this threatened species
None of this would be possible without incredible collaboration. Special thanks to Mike Jones and Jon Regosin from Mass Wildlife, who have been instrumental in making this research so successful and to Ally Jones (Mass Wildlife) and Emma Keene-Reinhard (Zoo New England) who were the primary field biologists responsible for finding all these terrapins and synthesizing the data.
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