{"id":16405,"date":"2015-06-10T10:24:02","date_gmt":"2015-06-10T15:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/?p=16405"},"modified":"2015-06-10T10:24:02","modified_gmt":"2015-06-10T15:24:02","slug":"how-to-find-a-diamondback-terrapin-nest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/?p=16405","title":{"rendered":"How to Find a Diamondback Terrapin Nest"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-107-1200.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16421\" title=\"POST Holly Lane Nest 107 480\" src=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-107-480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-107-480.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-107-480-300x275.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>Diamondback Terrapin #95 Laying Eggs off Sippican Harbor\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Well, as Turtle Journal has learned with decades of experience, the easiest way to discover a diamondback nest is to find mother terrapin digging, and then patiently, silently, stealthily waiting for her to complete the process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-100-1200.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16413\" title=\"POST Holly Lane Nest 100 480\" src=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-100-480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-100-480.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-100-480-300x291.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong>Diamondback Terrapin #95 Nesting in Sandy Patch at Wrack Line<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">With a bit of luck and skill, you spot the turtle from a considerable distance and you wait with telephoto lens, so that you don&#8217;t disturb her.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-102-1200.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16417\" title=\"POST Holly Lane Nest 102 480\" src=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-102-480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-102-480.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-102-480-300x261.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong>Diamondback Terrapin #95 Laying Eggs into Nest Chamber<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If she detects you before beginning to actually lay eggs, the terrapin will most likely abandon the nest.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-105-1200.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16419\" title=\"POST Holly Lane Nest 105 480\" src=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-105-480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-105-480.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-105-480-300x185.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong>Diamondback Terrapin #95 Laying Eggs into Nest<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If she&#8217;s already started laying, as with Terrapin #95 above, the turtle may continue until she deposits all her eggs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-108-1200.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16424\" title=\"POST Holly Lane Nest 108 480\" src=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-108-480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"299\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-108-480.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-108-480-300x186.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong>Diamondback Terrapin #95, Her Excavated Nest, 12 Perfect Eggs<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When she finishes laying eggs, and the terrapin begins to cover and disguise the nest, you can approach. \u00c2\u00a0Here Diamondback Terrapin #95 deposited 12 perfect eggs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-002-1200.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16407\" title=\"POST Holly Lane Nest 002 480\" src=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-002-480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-002-480.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-002-480-276x300.jpg 276w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong>Diamondback Terrapin Nesting Run Tracks &amp; Nest (Top Right)<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Sadly for researchers, terrapins are fairly cleaver and stealthy themselves. \u00c2\u00a0So, you learn to read tracks. \u00c2\u00a0Like a tank, turtles leave &#8220;tread marks and plastron drags&#8221; as they crawl up from the water and meander along the beach. \u00c2\u00a0With the right sand conditions, you get beautiful tracks like those above. \u00c2\u00a0The direction of travel can be discerned from the upside down commas that turtles leave as they push off with their rear legs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-003-1200.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16409\" title=\"POST Holly Lane Nest 003 480\" src=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-003-480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-003-480.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-003-480-300x206.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong>Diamondback Terrapin Nest (Left) and Nesting Run Tracks<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And if conditions are just perfect, like this morning, the nest itself shows as an unmistakable pattern in the sand. \u00c2\u00a0Within a few hours, wind and sun will erase all signs, and the nest will disappear.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-004-1200.jpg\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16411\" title=\"POST Holly Lane Nest 004 480\" src=\"http:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-004-480.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"864\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-004-480.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/POST-Holly-Lane-Nest-004-480-166x300.jpg 166w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong>Excavated Diamondback Terrapin Nest and 13 Perfect Eggs<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">So, as with all things in life, 99% of success is determined by just being there at the right time. \u00c2\u00a0The challenging part, though, is figuring out where and when.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">NOTE: \u00c2\u00a0Diamondback terrapins are a protected species in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. \u00c2\u00a0Please alert Turtle Journal, 508-274-5108, if you find a turtle or a nest. \u00c2\u00a0We&#8217;re always ready to respond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Diamondback Terrapin #95 Laying Eggs off Sippican Harbor\u00c2\u00a0 Well, as Turtle Journal has learned with decades of experience, the easiest way to discover a diamondback nest is to find mother terrapin digging, and then patiently, silently, stealthily waiting for her to complete the process. Diamondback Terrapin #95 Nesting in Sandy Patch at Wrack Line With [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[402,827,824,23],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16405"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16405"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16405\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16432,"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16405\/revisions\/16432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turtlejournal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}