Mission

Dedicated to diamondback terrapin research, conservation, management and education

The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group was formed in 2004 by individuals from academic, scientific, regulatory and private institutions/organizations working to promote the conservation of the diamondback terrapin, the preservation of intact, wild terrapin populations and their associated ecosystems throughout their range. The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group is committed to and supports research, management, conservation, and education efforts with the above goals in mind.

Need for the Working Group

Richard Seigel and Whit Gibbons organized the first terrapin workshop, held at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (Aiken, South Carolina) on 2 August 1994, in response to reports of potential declines in terrapin populations in several locations throughout its range. That workshop provided an opportunity to share data on terrapin biology and status and to produce specific recommendations for action by local, state and federal management agencies. A valuable product was the publication of a paper in Chelonian Conservation and Biology (Volume 1, Number 3:240-243) identifying the threats and steps needed to conserve the species.

The second workshop in the series was organized by Roger Wood and held at The Wetlands Institute (Stone Harbor, New Jersey) on 6-8 October 2000. Like the first workshop, it provided a valuable opportunity to share new research findings and to discuss conservation concerns.

Since our first meeting in 1994, terrapins still face an uncertain future. We as a group face a great conservation challenge. In response, we (Joe Butler and George Heinrich, organizers of the Third Workshop on the Ecology, Status and Conservation of the Diamondback Terrapin) proposed the establishment of a national Diamondback Terrapin Working Group, which will pursue a range-wide conservation plan. We intend for this initiative to address the need for better communication and support among terrapin researchers and conservationists, as well as unite all individuals and organizations concerned with the decline of this species.

Check this/these interesting terrapins from Jamaica Bay New York