Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins

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English

Testudines

Publications

Diamondback Terrapins of Florida

Rick O’Connor, Travis Thomas, and Martin Main

Florida is home to several species of sea turtles, but in addition to sea turtles, Florida has another native turtle that inhabits coastal waters: the diamondback terrapin. This “lesser known” coastal turtle occurs along Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts; however, many people are unaware of the species. This fact sheet provides information on diamondback terrapin ecology and conservation and will be of interest to lay and professional audiences interested in learning more about and contributing to conservation of this species.

Hoja informativa sobre la vida silvestre de la Florida: Tortuga Terrestre de Florida

Bethany Wight, Raoul K. Boughton, y Martin Main. Traducido por Gabriela Gomez, Alejandra Areingdale, y Miguel Acevedo

Esta es una hoja informativa sobre la vida silvestre de Florida dedicada al tortuga terrestre de Florida. Esta ficha busca informar sobre las características de este animal, la historia de su presencia en el estado, su distribución actual, biología y comportamiento. El objetivo es informar al público en general sobre esta especie.

A Guide to Nesting Sea Turtles in Florida

Analisa Duran, Ruth Frances-Floyd, Maia Patterson Mcguire, and Iskande Larkin

Florida’s coastline provides critical habitat for sea turtle nesting, as it has for millions of years. Throughout the state, three of the seven species of sea turtles in the world have significant nesting populations. Loggerhead, green, and leatherback sea turtles use Florida’s beaches to lay nests each year. This publication provides information on the identification, nesting characteristics, and abundance of each of the common sea turtle species who nest in Florida.

Coastal Armoring Impacts on Beaches and Sea Turtles

Melissa Hill, Ray Carthy, and Martha Monroe

Close to 19.6 million people live in Florida, and 76.5% of them, or approximately 15 million, live on the coast. Florida’s coasts are attractive despite the increasing risks from sea-level rise and more frequent climatic events such as hurricanes and coastal flooding. At particular risk from these erosive events are Florida’s 825 miles of sandy beaches. Coastal armoring is a physical barrier placed with the intent of protecting structures from storm, surf, and erosion damage. This publication explains how coastal armoring works and the impacts it has on nearby beaches and sea turtle habitat.