Terrapin

Terrapins, also known as water tortoises, are a group of several species of aquatic reptiles that belong to the order Testudines. They live mainly in fresh or brackish tidal waters and have clawed feet like tortoises, unlike the flippers of marine turtles. In American English, they are often called marsh, pond, or tide-water turtles, and some species are known as pond sliders.

Unlike tortoises, which are almost strict herbivores and frugivores, many terrapins are mainly carnivorous. They eat amphibians, arthropods, freshwater fish, and molluscs, though some species are herbivores. Terrapins are mainly identified with the taxonomic family Emydidae, but they do not form a single group and may not be closely related. Some terrapins belong to the families Geoemydidae, Pelomedusidae, Podocnemididae, and Chelydridae.

Although terrapins spend most of their time in water, they often come to land for various reasons, especially to warm up by basking in the sun. This behavior helps them regulate their body temperature and stay healthy. Terrapins are fascinating creatures that show a mix of aquatic and land-living traits.

Etymology

Diamondback terrapin

The name "terrapin" comes from a word in the Algonquian languages, torope, which described the diamondback terrapin. This term became common during the colonial period in North America and spread to Great Britain. Over time, people started using "terrapin" to describe freshwater turtles in English, though it is less commonly used in North America today.

Because of this connection, the War of 1812 was sometimes called "the Terrapin War." This nickname came from the idea that the United States, like a terrapin hiding in its shell, was protected and resistant to British forces during the conflict.

Species

The International Union for Conservation of Nature keeps a list called the IUCN Red List, which shows how at risk different animals are. On this list, many terrapin species are marked as "threatened with extinction," meaning they are in danger of disappearing.

Terrapins are different kinds of water turtles. Some of the species include many types, and scientists are still learning more about them. These turtles live in fresh or salty water and have special feet for walking, unlike sea turtles, which have flippers.

Family	Genus	Species (subspecies)	common name	Native natural habitat range	IUCN Red List status	Current population trend
Chelydridae	Chelydra	acutirostris	South American snapping turtle	South America
Chelydridae	Chelydra	rossignonii	Central American snapping turtle Mexican snapping turtle Yucatán snapping turtle	Central America	VU^IUCN
Chelydridae	Chelydra	serpentina	common snapping turtle	southeastern Canada United States eastern US southeastern US	LC^IUCN
Chelydridae	Macrochelys	temminckii	alligator snapping turtle	United States Florida Panhandle western Illinois southern Indiana southeastern Iowa southeast Kansas western Kentucky Louisiana west Michigan Missouri western Tennessee east Texas	EN^IUCN
Emydidae	Actinemys	marmorata	western pond turtle	western United States Mexico	VU^IUCN
Emydidae	Clemmys	guttata	spotted turtle	southern Canada Ontario eastern United States the eastern Great Lakes east of the Appalachian Mountains	EN^IUCN
Emydidae	Emydoidea	blandingii	Blanding's turtle	North American Great Lakes parts of the US Great Plains New England coastal lands	EN^IUCN	decreasing
Emydidae	Emys	orbicularis	European pond terrapin	central Europe parts of northern Africa western Asia	NT^IUCN
Emydidae	Glyptemys	muhlenbergii	bog turtle	eastern United States	CR^IUCN
Emydidae	Glyptemys	insculpta	wood turtle	northeastern United States	EN^IUCN
Emydidae	Malaclemys	terrapin	diamondback terrapin	North America Bermuda	VU^IUCN
Emydidae	Trachemys	scripta (elegans)	red-eared slider red-eared terrapin	southern United States northern Mexico
Emydidae	Trachemys	scripta (scripta)	yellow-bellied slider yellow-bellied terrapin	southeastern United States Florida southeastern Virginia
Geoemydidae	Batagur	affinis	southern river terrapin	southeast Asia Cambodia Indonesia Malaysia	CR^IUCN
Geoemydidae	Batagur	baska	northern river terrapin	Cambodia	CR^IUCN
Geoemydidae	Batagur	borneoensis	painted terrapin	southeast Asia Brunei Indonesia Malaysia Thailand	CR^IUCN
Geoemydidae	Batagur	dhongoka	three-striped roofed turtle	south Asia	CR^IUCN
Geoemydidae	Batagur	kachuga	red-crowned roofed turtle	south Asia	CR^IUCN
Geoemydidae	Batagur	trivittata	Burmese roofed turtle	Myanmar	CR^IUCN
Geoemydidae (Bataguridae)	Mauremys	caspica	Caspian turtle striped-neck terrapin	western Asia Caspian Sea Azerbaijan Georgia Iran Turkey eastern Mediterranean	NA^IUCN
Geoemydidae (Bataguridae)	Mauremys	leprosa	Spanish pond turtle Iberian pond turtle Mediterranean pond turtle	Iberia Portugal Spain northern Africa Morocco Algeria Tunisia	VU^IUCN
Geoemydidae (Bataguridae)	Mauremys	mustica	yellow pond turtle	eastern Asia coastal China: Zhejiang Fujian Guangdong Hainan Vietnam Taiwan	CR^IUCN	decreasing
Geoemydidae	Mauremys	rivulata	Balkan terrapin western Caspian turtle	The Balkans Croatia Montenegro Albania Greece Bulgaria Turkey Cyprus	LC^IUCN
Geoemydidae	Melanochelys	trijuga	Indian pond terrapin Indian black turtle	south Asia India
Geoemydidae	Morenia	ocellata	Bengal eyed terrapin Burmese eyed turtle Burmese peacock turtle	Myanmar Yunnan, China
Geoemydidae	Rhinoclemmys	rubida	Mexican spotted terrapin Mexican spotted wood turtle	Mexico
Geoemydidae	Siebenrockiella	crassicollis	black marsh turtle smiling terrapin	southeast Asia	EN^IUCN
Pelomedusidae	Pelusios	castaneus	West African mud turtle swamp terrapin	central Africa western Africa	LC^IUCN
Pelomedusidae	Pelusios	seychellensis	Seychelles mud turtle	The Seychelles	EX^IUCN
Pelomedusidae	Pelusios	sinuatus	serrated hinged terrapin	southern Africa	LC^IUCN
Pelomedusidae	Pelusios	subniger	black-bellied hinged terrapin	central Africa western Africa	LC^IUCN
Platysternidae	Platysternon	megacephalum	big-headed turtle	southeast Asia Cambodia China Laos Myanmar Thailand Vietnam	CR^IUCN
Podocnemididae	Erymnochelys	madagascariensis	Madagascan big-headed turtle	Madagascar	CR^IUCN

Conventions

The information in this section follows guidelines from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. When possible, maps show where each species lives. If a map isn't available, a description of the area is given instead. All species marked with a dagger symbol "†" went extinct after the year 1500 CE.

Etymology

Species

Conventions

Images