Diamonds in the Rough
Story and photographs by Pamela Cohen
T
he wildlife of Kiawah certainly has many sparkling “gems,” and one special
jewel is the diamondback terrapin. This particular terrapin may not be as well
known as the loggerhead, the enormous sea turtle that nests on the Island’s
beach. However, Kiawah is fortunate to have resident diamondbacks—also
known as Malaclemys terrapins—the only turtle living exclusively in the brackish
waterways and coastal swamps of the eastern and southern United States.
The diamondback’s name is derived from the diamond-shaped markings on its
carapace, or top shell. Its bottom shell, or plastron, varies in color from green, yellow, or
black. Its skin is handsomely adorned with mottled black spots or stripes. Their five- to
nine-inch reptilian bodies are perfectly formed to promote survival. Their anatomy
includes webbed toes and muscular hind legs that facilitate swimming through estuarine
waters and maneuvering into the soft pluff mud and dunes where they deposit eggs.
Kayakers with a keen eye might spot them coming up for a breath in the Kiawah River
where they feed on a variety of aquatic organisms or insects.
22