ABSECON — Stockton University’s Terrapin Conservation Project released the last of the year’s rescued diamondback terrapins Friday at a saltmarsh site. Those released included turtles that had been rescued and rehabilitated, as well as hatchlings from salvaged terrapin eggs.
The northern diamondback terrapins are a species of “special concern” and labeled as “threatened” to “endangered” globally. They only inhabit coastal areas with brackish water (a mix of salt and fresh water), which include the salt marshes, estuaries and creeks in New Jersey. The word “terrapin” means edible turtle that lives in brackish waters.
The diamondback terrapin population has declined over the years, due to loss of habitat, road kills, people keeping them as illegal pets and global exportation for consumption.
Stockton’s Terrapin Conservation Project, which was established in 1989, has released more than 300 diamondback terrapins this year in Cape May and Atlantic counties, in partnership with the Wetlands Institute in Middle Township.
The Stockton animal lab at the Galloway Township campus rescues and rehabilitates hundreds of terrapins for release back into the wild. Eggs that are salvaged from injured or road-killed female terrapins spend time in an incubator before hatching. After they hatch, members of the Stockton project raise them for a year to prepare them for their release.
“You see female terrapins crossing the road more because they are looking for higher tides or altitudes to lay their eggs,” said John Rokita, assistant supervisor of academic lab services at Stockton. “We incubate eggs to be mostly female terrapins, so they can reproduce.”
The incubation temperature determines the sex of the terrapins. Eggs incubated at 30 degrees Celsius are female, while eggs incubated at 26 degrees Celsius and below turn male.
This year, Evelyn Kidd, of Ventnor, saved most of the turtles for the Stockton project.
CAPE MAY — A Coast Guard crew cut a fishing net from a sea turtle 11 miles off Cape May on T…
“I live by the beach, so a lot of turtles fall into the sewer drains near my home,” she said. “I’ve been saving turtles since I was at least 12 years old.”
On average, Kidd said she saves 60 terrapins per year. She would love to organize an independent program where others can get involved in rescuing the species, especially schools and children. She wants people to rescue terrapins even when she is not around.
“I emailed the mayor of Ventnor about it, but she hasn’t gotten back to me yet.”
In line with Kidd’s aspirations, conservationists suggest anyone who sees an injured turtle on the side of the road contact Stockton’s animal lab or a local fire department. They emphasize that people should not keep the turtles as pets or leave them on the side of the road.
GALLERY: Stockton University releases rescued terrapins
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Melissa Laurino, an employee at Stockton University’s animal lab, releases a diamondback terrapin into the wild Friday.
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