We Trapped Turtles You Won't Believe!

Any day you make a lasting positive memory is truly a great day. In this adventure, I am in Southwest Florida with my friend and partner Kevin Minto. Now, many of you may not know this, but in addition to giant tortoises, Kevin is obsessed with Diamondback Terrapins, Malaclemys terrapin. He was in for a real treat on this one, when we set out to meet Chris, Mike, Nadine, and Daniel in the field, where we were able to see real mangrove swamps in Southwest Florida and trap for what are now considered to be Mangrove Diamondback Terrapins, Malaclemys terrapin rhizopherum. This is a BIG deal. Up until the publishing of a recent paper, these turtles were considered to be Ornate Diamondback Terrapins, Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota. Regardless of their genetic and taxonomic standing, we are thrilled to see these incredible animals in their natural habitat.

After spending time with these turtles in their habitat, one thing is clear. We need to protect them at all costs. They need to not just exist on this planet, but in the habitats in which they belong!