2014 Brevard Zoo Diamondback Terrapin Program Report

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1 2014 Brevard Zoo Diamondback Terrapin Program Thank you so much for reporting your diamondback terrapin sightings! Each one is very useful in determining important habitat for diamondback terrapins. Your information assists in determining where to focus future research and land management efforts to benefit diamondback terrapins in the Indian River Lagoon.

2 2014 Brevard Zoo As our thank you for submitting your valuable sighting data, next time you are at the Brevard Zoo swing by the administration office and pick up a complimentary Indian River Lagoon Diamondback Terrapin poster. The diamondback terrapin poster was created by local artist, Dawn Witherington and made possible by the support of Florida Department of Environmental Protection Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves and Brevard Zoo s Quarters for Conservation program. If you haven t already, you can like Brevard Zoo and Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves on Facebook. To learn more about the diamondback terrapin program and other local conservation projects, please visit:

3 2014 Brevard Zoo Terrapins are much less active during cooler months, but will become active again in the spring to breed and lay nests along Indian River Lagoon beaches. Thanks much in part to all of your wonderful sighting data, we have a general timeline for when this will occur. October-February: Cool temperatures make terrapins less active. Sightings are possible but less frequent. February: Adult Terrapins become more active as water temperatures start to warm. Hatchlings sometimes overwinter in their nests and may begin to emerge around this time. March-April: Mating season begins. Terrapins group into breeding aggregations. April-July: Female terrapins lay nests along lagoon front beaches and yards. 60 days later, hatchlings emerge and return to the lagoon. July-September: Nest laying dwindles and most remaining hatchlings emerge from nests. Some will overwinter until spring.

4 Terrapin Talk! 2014 Brevard Zoo Brevard Zoo and partners have been busy spreading the word about diamondback terrapins! In May, Florida Department of Environmental Protection s (FDEP) Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserves Environmental Specialist, Marc Virgilio, and Brevard Zoo Conservation Coordinator, Amy Reaume, along with Mr. T and Tortuga, Brevard Zoo s diamondback terrapin ambassadors, spoke to Timmy Vee on A1A about these unique turtles and the threats they face in the Indian River Lagoon. Teaching about Terrapins The Zoo School program at Brevard Zoo has a new mascot. the diamondback terrapin! This program, which works with 5thgrade students from local Title-I schools, hosts around 500 students annually for six weeks of learning throughout the school year in Brevard Zoo s classrooms. Now students have a resident terrapin in their classroom who they can meet and learn about up close. Students are evaluated after taking part in the program and early results show that the vast majority of students have never heard of a diamondback terrapin prior to Zoo School. Teaching our youth about this turtle is the first step in their conservation.

5 Field Surveys 2014 Brevard Zoo Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Brevard Zoo, Florida Tech, and other partners have conducted multiple field surveys in the Indian River Lagoon, based in large part on YOUR terrapin sighting data. These field surveys will help us learn about diamondback terrapin populations living in the Indian River Lagoon and how best to protect them. FDEP Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserve employee and Florida Tech student record data on a terrapin nest. The nest had been predated, most likely by the terrapin s top predator, raccoons. Beautiful female terrapin found during field surveys.

6 2014 Brevard Zoo In addition to reporting your diamondback terrapin sighting, there are other ways you can help terrapins: Tell your friends, family, and neighbors about diamondback terrapins; many people have never seen or heard of this gem in our Indian River Lagoon. Use natives plants in your yard and avoid fertilizers and pesticides. Even if you don t live right along the Indian River Lagoon it still helps this waterway, which is home to diamondback terrapins. Native plants also provide better habitat for nesting terrapins. Grass is tough to dig through when looking for a place to lay eggs! Secure garbage cans and other items that might attract raccoons, the main predator of diamondback terrapins. Raccoons can eat more than 90% of the eggs in a terrapin nest, in addition to preying on hatchling and adult terrapins. Raccoons may be cute but are no friend to our terrapins!

7 Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program Brevard Zoo Teens Dr. David R. Breininger Florida Institute of Technology University of Florida IFAS Extension Brevard County Dan Murphy