Diamonds in the Marsh
A Natural History of the Diamondback Terrapin
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- $22.99
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- $22.99
Publisher Description
A new edition of a classic on a beloved turtle species.
She’s the mascot for the University of Maryland’s sports teams and her ancestors were nearly driven to extinction by Victorians who indulged in turtle soup. But as she buries herself in the mud every night to sleep, the diamondback terrapin knows none of this. The size of a dinner plate and named for the beautiful concentric rings on her shell, she can live at least forty years and is the only turtle in North America who can live in brackish and salty waters. Several diamondback populations have been the subjects of ecological studies in recent years, but most of that information was buried in scientific literature and various state and federal reports—until this book.
Synthesizing all known research on this remarkable animal, Diamonds in the Marsh is the first full-scale natural history of the diamondback terrapin. Focusing on the northern diamondback, Barbara Brennessel examines its evolution, physiology, adaptations, behavior, growth patterns, life span, genetic diversity, land use, reproduction, and early years. She also discusses its relationship to humans, first as an important food source from colonial times through the nineteenth century, and more recently as a cultural icon, frequently depicted in Native American art and design. She concludes with a look at contemporary hazards to the terrapin and urges continued study of this marvelous creature. Updated with a new introduction by Brennessel, and with a foreword by Bob Prescott, former executive director of Massachusett’s Audubon Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary, Diamonds of the Marsh is perfect for those interested in the conservation of a species.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Environmentalists, ecologists and marine biologists will delight in this meticulously detailed but highly readable look at the only North American turtle species that can tolerate the "fresh water, salt water, and everything in between" of its home off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Brennessel, a professor of biology at Wheaton College in Massachusetts, argues that the diamondback terrapin's importance stems not only from its singular status and that its beautifully detailed shell is a "one-of-a-kind evolutionary item" but also from the threat to its existence by the increasing erosion of its natural habitat. She documents the terrapin's natural history by collecting, for the first time, crucial records and recent scientific studies that were previously found only in scattered scientific journals and reports. Although this specialized subject matter may not appeal to a mass audience, Brennessel offers the nonprofessional reader a wealth of fascinating information, from how the annual activity cycle of terrapins is dictated by water temperature to the quality and quantity of coastal zones needed to maintain and protect younger terrapins between their hatching and maturation, a relatively unstudied "black hole in terrapin life history." Photos.
