Along the marsh, it’s another nesting season – Coastal Observer

Along the marsh, it’s another nesting season – Coastal Observer

The nest under the oak and magnolia trees in a quiet Litchfield neighborhood won’t draw the sort of crowds that gather on the beachfront for sea turtle nest inventories. But it has captured the attention of residents who have counted down the days since it was laid. It could be any day now. The diamondback terrapin hatchlings that emerge are also of interest to scientists who study the reptiles that only make their home in the salt marsh. While not federally protected like sea turtle species, diamondback terrapins are ranked high on the state’s list of species that need to be conserved. The species is among those that the state Department of Natural Resources asks the public to report. That wasn’t what occurred to Walter McNeil when he saw the nesting terrapin in a common area across from his home in Marshland Park. “The first thing I said, in my ignorance, is ‘look at that turtle,’” he said. To be fair, a terrapin is a type of turtle, scientifically speaking. “All terrapins are turtles, but not all turtles are terrapins,” said Andrew Grosse, the state herpetologist with Natural Resources. “The diamondback terrapin is the only estuarine species in North America.” The terrapins were caught for food and jewelry in the 19th century. Coastal development in the 20th century further contributed to their decline. South Carolina banned the commercial harvest of diamondback terrapins 20 years ago. What McNeil found as he took a noonday walk in June to check on a neighbor’s house was “not common,” Grosse said. McNeil and his wife watched the female lay her eggs in the nest scraped from under the fallen magnolia leaves then head back to the marsh.  “With sea turtles, they get pretty exhausted from the whole act of laying that many eggs,” he said. “So my wife just picked her up and took her over to her intended target, which was the marsh.” Terrapins generally nest during the day, Grosse said, often around high tide, as the one did at Marshland Park. McNeil did some research online and contacted DNR, which has a reporting form on its website, dnr.sc.gov. After learning that diamondback terrapin are a species of concern, he decided to protect the nest. A neighbor who is a fishing guide and who recognized the importance of the nest, provided lumber for a frame. The neighborhood’s landscaping firm provided some wire mesh and secured the cover. It has two small cutouts facing the marsh for the hatchlings to exit. The 60-day average incubation time passed last week, and McNeil checks the nest two or three times a day. “I tell them that you’re not going to see them come out of the nest,” Grosse said. That usually happens when the temperature cools in the evening or early morning. “You’re just going to see a hole in the ground.” If McNeil hadn’t seen the actual terrapin, no one would have know there was a nest under the tree, Grosse said. Unlike sea turtles, the small terrapins don’t leave crawl marks. While Grosse doesn’t like to compare the two species, that’s difficult to avoid, he said. Their nests face threats from predators and the nesting females can abandon their effort if disturbed. “You don’t want to disturb them,” Grosse said. “Enjoy the fact that you got to see it. It’s pretty special.” The cover that McNeil installed should give the hatchlings a way to reach the marsh, he said. While they don’t have the light off the water to guide them as sea turtle hatchlings do, they will head for the marsh. “Turtles have a way of navigating that we don’t understand,” Grosse said. But, “inevitably they get lost.” In a neighborhood, that means they wind up under houses. That’s were the neighbors can help. If stray hatchlings are found, Grosse said the key is to place them in the marsh grass by the water, not in the open water. That’s where they will live as they grow. While DNR collects data on terrapin nesting, the agency doesn’t readily share it. “Diamondback terrapin are high on the list in the illegal turtle trade,” Grosse said. Eggs are sold on the black market. But there are ongoing studies to help understand the health of the state’s terrapin population. The northernmost study is at the Yawkey Wildlife Center south of Georgetown. “It’s as pristine a site as you’re going to get,” he said. “We need to understand what the populations we have look like,” he added. “Long term, we’ve seen the populations decrease.” With luck, a dozen more diamondback terrapins will find their way to Clubhouse Creek soon. “It’s just wait and see,” McNeil said. “It’s been interesting.”