Terrapin Small Journal

The following description appears on the inside cover of your small journal.

DESCRIPTION

Diamondback terrapins are one of the world’s most beautiful and colorful turtles. Diamondbacks inhabit estuaries and saltwater marshes from Cape Cod through the Southern coast of the US. Perhaps the most noticeable feature of this turtle is its shell, also commonly called its carapace. The carapace varies in coloration from grey or black to light brown and is strongly grooved with a composite of concentric circles that accounts for its common name. Diamondbacks display sexual dimorphism; females tend to be twice the size of males at sexual maturity. Male diamondbacks usually attain a carapace length of 5" whereas females can attain a length exceeding 9".

Turtles figure prominently in Native American mythology and culture. Of particular significance is the fact that the turtle carapace is composed of 13 plates (technically called "scutes") as well as 28 ridge scutes. Is it coincidence that these numbers correspond precisely to the Native American method of marking time? Thirteen new moons appear each year with 28 days between each new moon.

artwork and text by Steve Sierigk