Malaclemys terrapin
Silhouette: Shelby Truckenbrod · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The diamondback terrapin or simply terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is a species of terrapin native to the brackish coastal tidal marshes of the East Coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico coast, as well as in Bermuda. It belongs to the monotypic genus Malaclemys. It has one of the largest ranges of all turtles in North America, stretching as far south as the Florida Keys and as far north as Cape Cod.
The name "terrapin" is derived from the Algonquian word torope. It applies to Malaclemys terrapin in both British English and American English. The name originally was used by early European settlers in North America to describe these brackish-water turtles that inhabited neither freshwater habitats nor the sea. It retains this primary meaning in American English. In British English, however, other semi-aquatic turtle species, such as the red-eared slider, might also be called terrapins.
The common name refers to the diamond pattern on top of its shell (carapace), but the overall pattern and coloration vary greatly. No two diamondback terrapins look alike. The carapace is usually wider at the back than in the front, has a more or less pronounced central ridge... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greensboro Science Center | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenzhen Safari Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 3 | WildFlorida Safaris | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | The Maryland Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Wildlife World Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Dauphin Island Audubon Bird Sanctuary | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Leofoo Village Theme Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 9 | Louisville Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Audubon Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | ABQ BioPark: Zoo, Aquarium, Botanic Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Brevard Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Franklin Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Zoo Knoxville | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Virginia Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | San Antonio Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Philadelphia Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Potter Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 20 | Zoo Atlanta | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | Bayou Safari Wildlife Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | El Paso Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 23 | Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 24 | Turtle Back Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 25 | Queens Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 26 | Henry Vilas Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 27 | Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 28 | North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 29 | Palm Beach Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 30 | Wildgehege Sternenfels | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 31 | Salisbury Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 32 | ZooAmerica | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 33 | Elmwood Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 34 | Greenville Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 35 | Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 36 | Sarasota Jungle Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 37 | Bergen County Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 38 | Staten Island Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 39 | Central Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 40 | Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 41 | Mississippi Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 42 | Bear Hollow Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 43 | Adventure Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 44 | Aquarium of the Americas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 45 | Florida Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 46 | Mote SEA | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 47 | Newport Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 48 | SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 49 | Sunken Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 50 | Virginia Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Diamondback Terrapin sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 32nd most-seen of the 35 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and March–September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Diamondback Terrapin in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in February and October–December, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Diamondback Terrapin sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Diamondback Terrapin sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Everglades National Park (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Emydidae
The closest relatives of the Diamondback Terrapin that you can see in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (family Emydidae, Pond and Box Turtles) are Peninsular Cooter (about 30%), Common Box Turtle (about 10%) and Florida Redbelly Turtle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Diamondback Terrapin is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (28 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
