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Encyclopedia / Turtles / Diamondback terrapin
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Variations

4 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Diamondback terrapin

Malaclemys terrapin · Terrapin

Peaceful and active; needs brackish water and a basking area.

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20 cmAdult size ✓
UnknownTemperature ?
UnknownpH ?
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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Tank mates
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This one is best kept on its own, or with its own kind.

Not recommended
  • Diamondback terrapin should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • Diamondback terrapin should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Not recommended
  • Diamondback terrapin should be kept without other species, and it needs a land area too.
Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ?Can live alone
Temperament ?Semi-aggressive
Swims at ?Bottom
Care level ?Hard
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ✓25–40 years
Size in shops 4–6 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful and active; needs brackish water and a basking area.

Check your local laws. CITES Appendix II (since 2013): international trade needs CITES permits. IUCN Vulnerable (2019). Protected at state level in parts of its range (e.g. Endangered in Rhode Island, Threatened in Massachusetts); no federal US listing. USA: turtles under 4 inches (10 cm) carapace may not be sold commercially (FDA). Check the rules where you live before you buy one, and never release it into the wild.

Good to know: Needs a basking area and brackish water.

  • brackish

Food

Snails, shrimp, fish and pellets.

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Male or female

Females are much larger (about 23 cm) than males (13-15 cm); males are often darker.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-layer (buried clutch) · Moderate

Mates in spring (March-May); females come ashore to nest in sand dunes or scrub near the water in May-July, laying up to 3 clutches a year in the wild (up to 5 in captivity). Sex is set by incubation temperature.

Pairing

Pair.

Setup

Large brackish tank.

What starts it

Warm season.

Eggs

Average clutch about 6 (southern Florida) to 11 eggs (New York); eggs hatch in 60-85 days, depending on temperature and nest depth.

Raising the fry

Hatchlings are fully independent: house them in shallow warm water with a basking spot and feed small pellets, worms and daphnia daily.

Common mistakes
  • Undersized tank and weak filtration
  • No UV or basking heat (soft shells, poor growth)
  • Releasing unwanted turtles into the wild
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionEastern USA – Atlantic and Gulf coasts
Rivers and lakesSalt marshes from Massachusetts to Texas
HabitatBrackish salt marshes and estuaries
Native rangeAbout 2,000 km across
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The story of the diamondback terrapin

The only US turtle of brackish estuaries, tidal creeks and salt marshes, along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Salt glands near the eyes let it get rid of excess salt.

Johann Schoepff described the diamondback terrapin in 1793. It is the only North American turtle that lives only in brackish water. It was once heavily eaten as a delicacy.

First described by Johann D. Schoepff in 1793.

  • It lives only in brackish water.
  • It has diamond-shaped shell patterns.
  • It was once a popular food in the USA.

Sources

11 facts checked with sources