SREL Reprint #3051

Spatial and Thermal Ecology of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in a South Carolina Salt Marsh

Leigh Anne Harden1, Nicholas A. Diluzio1, J. Whitfield Gibbons2, and Michael E. Dorcas1

1Department of Biology, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035-7118
2Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29803

Abstract: East coast barrier islands such as Kiawah Island, South Carolina, have experienced rapid urbanization resulting in alteration of their salt marsh ecosystems since the 1980’s. These estuarine ecosystems serve as critical habitat for numerous endemic wildlife such as diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) which are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances. An intensive six-day radiotelemetric study was initiated to better understand the daily movements and habitat use of five terrapins within a tidal creek. In conjunction with radiotelemetry, we used micro-dataloggers to continuously monitor both terrapin and environmental temperatures. During high tides, low tides, and ebbing tides, terrapins spent more time in the marsh (Spartina sp., mud, and occasional shallow water) than in open water of the creek channel. Terrapins remained within the same tidal creek system and moved a mean total distance of 750 m with individual total distances moved ranging from 440 to 1,159 m. Carapace temperatures of two male terrapins varied from 16.0 to 41.0°C from 13 May until 1 June 2006. Comparing these temperatures to environmental temperatures allowed us to make detailed inferences about basking behavior. This short radiotelemetry study provides new insight to understanding diamondback terrapin habitat use and site fidelity, which will assist in making management decisions and in developing predictive models to estimate population sizes.

Key Words: Malaclemys terrapin; radiotelemetry; micro-datalogger; temperature

SREL Reprint #3051

Harden, L. A., N. A. Diluzio, J. W. Gibbons and M. E. Dorcas 2007. Spatial and Thermal Ecology of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in a South Carolina Salt Marsh. Journal of the North Carolina Academy of Science 123(3): 154-162.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).