Archive for the ‘Diamondback Terrapins’ Category

Jan
13

The Houston Zoo Cares About Diamondback Terrapins, By Rachel Godambe

Posted by in Conservation,Diamondback Terrapins,Endangered Species,Uncategorized

Do you love turtles? I love Turtles! Do you want to do something to help preserve turtles and their habitat? I know I do! Houston Zoo keepers have planned an awesome turtle bonanza weekend for all you turtle lovers!! Starting Friday, January 20th the East Texas Herpetological Society is hosting a lecture by our very own Houston Zoo Keeper, Jordan Gray about the Jewel of the Salt Marsh, the Diamondback Terrapin. The Diamondback Terrapins lives exclusively in brackish water and was once hunted to the brink of extinction for use in turtle soup. Although numbers appear to have rebounded considerably, their population status along the Texas coastline is not fully known. Due to its unique requirements this species remains especially susceptible to local extinction. Potential threats to survival include habitat alteration, crab trap bycatch, boating, and other human activities. Natural disasters such as hurricanes may also negatively impact the species because of the fragile nature of its limited range. Extensive field research will lead to a better understanding of this species in Texas and offer potential strategies to ensure its continued survival. This free lecture will be at the Houston Zoo Brown Education Building. Doors open at 7:30 and enter through Gate 5. Enjoy refreshments at 7:30 pm and talk begins at 8:00 pm. Enjoy the rest of your weekend here at the Houston Zoo for the Spotlight On Species Event for the Diamondback Terrapins at the Reptile Building from 10 am to 3 pm Saturday, January 21st and Sunday, January 22nd. There will be crafts to do, activities, and keeper chats galore! You can even leave the Zoo with information on how to help the Houston Zoo Conservation Department with their annual Crab Trap Clean up next month. Please come out to the SOS event next weekend and stop by the Crab Trap Clean Up booth in front of the Reptiles Building for more information. Together we can help turtles!!

By: Rachel Godambe, Natural Encounters Keeper

 

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Feb
15

Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Weekend

Posted by in Diamondback Terrapins,Texas,What You Can Do

kid and mom with trapTexas Parks and Wildlife Department officials announced drop-off sites for the 8th Texas Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program, scheduled this year from Feb. 19 to 28.

During this 10-day period, all Texas bays will be closed to crabbing with crab traps, and any traps left in the bay will be presumed to be abandoned and considered litter under state law, thus allowing volunteers to legally remove any crab traps they find.

Volunteers are needed to assist in the coast-wide effort to remove the numerous wire mesh traps that have been lost or abandoned since last year’s cleanup.

To facilitate volunteer trap removal efforts this year, TPWD will provide facilitated trap drop-off sites at several locations along the coast Saturday, Feb. 20, from 8 a.m. to noon, weather permitting. Additionally, at all sites, dumpsters marked with banners will be available to receive traps for the duration of the closure.

Volunteers can work at their own pace during the closure as time and weather permit, but traps cannot be removed prior to Feb. 19 or after Feb 28. Last year, volunteers, with the aid of numerous sponsors, removed more than 1,900 traps bring the total removed since the program began to 25,974.

Thanks to the donations of the Coastal Conservation Association, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, and others,  volunteers can arrange to pick-up free tarps, gloves, trap hooks and additional information at their local TPWD Coastal Fisheries Field Stations. TPWD requests that volunteers record and submit information about the number of traps that they collect as well as any sightings of diamondback terrapins.

For more information about the Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program and how you can volunteer, please contact your local TPWD Coastal Fisheries Office or Art Morris at the Corpus Christi Field Station: (361) 825-3356, art.morris@tpwd.state.tx.us; or Tonya Wiley at the Dickinson Marine Lab: (281) 534-0131, tonya.wiley@tpwd.state.tx.us.

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Jun
04

Bugs Life No More!

Posted by in amphibians,Diamondback Terrapins,Going Green,What You Can Do

bildtankstelle_1_055

Use your garden to control your bugs!

Within seconds of leaving my front door, I am covered in tiny blood-sucking insects. My mosquito bite-covered legs will stand for this no more. I have done my research and found some ways to enjoy my summer while reducing this infestation- Gardening! Whether you want to grow plants from seeds or buy them at the store, there are many natural ways to keep bugs away from your family, garden, and pets.


An increasing number of studies are concluding negative health effects result from insecticides, especially in children. Also, I don’t enjoy smelling like a chemical plant and feeling like a piece of chewed up gum. While spraying chemical pesticides on your garden may not seem as uncomfortable to you, it can actually kill many of the bugs that you love, like lady bugs, bees, and butterflies.


I have been searching for remedies to the previously mentioned concerns, and I have found the goods. The first of the secret weapons is Lavender. Lavender repels mosquitoes and encourages butterflies. You can also splash on some lavender oil to use as a mosquito repellant and a perfume too! That’s all any woman wants, isn’t it?


The second secret weapon, garlic, deters more than just vampires. While not very many people would be willing to douse themselves in garlic on a daily basis, it seems to work wonders in the garden. Garlic has proved successful in frightening those pests out of the vegetable gardens and rose bushes. If all else fails, then you can cook up some tasty fresh spaghetti with it.


Finally, I will soon fill my garden at home with marigolds, a cute little flower that also repels those mosquitoes. Marigolds have a dual use of fashion and function.


Many other creative and easy recipes can be found here. Other key ingredients vary from chili peppers and rubbing alcohol to cheap household soap.


Ever wonder how the Zoo plants look so good? The Zoo Horticulture Team focuses on making the soil “happy.” They use totally organic products, such as leaf mold fertilizers, compost tea, and a vinegar solution instead of Round-Up.


Now, Put that green thumb to work!

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May
13

Mosquitoes. Leg swallowing mud. Sea gull poop.

Posted by in Diamondback Terrapins

Mosquitoes. Leg swallowing mud. Sea gull poop. Sticky heat. Third degree sun burns.

These are all of the joys of studying terrapins in Galveston Bay. The Diamondback terrapin, a brackish water, blue-headed, polka dotted, fabulous little turtle, is much smarter than us. They are buried in the mud when the sun pokes out in the mid to late morning. These guys dig down in the marshy mud to keep cool and sleep the day away amongst cord grass, irritated crabs, and periwinkle snails.

In the spring I may also assume they are attempting to escape the incoming bomb raid of feces and the shreeking laughter of sea gulls. A rainshower of gull and various other sea bird poop narrowly missed my head at least 60 times yesterday. Although we managed to escape unscathed today, I did hear another girl did not fair so well last week. She was hit multiple times.

Read more about Diamondback terrapin research at http://www.houstonzoo.org/Diamondback/

Photo courtesy of Paul Crump

terrapin

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