Sharing another terrapin photo and a short video clip (below).
In the photo above you can see this hatchling's egg tooth. If you look closely at the very tip of the snout, you can see a pale sharp point. The egg tooth helps the hatchling break out of the shell. Later the egg tooth will fall off.
We also have a short video clip of the turtle as it starts on its journey from the nesting area to the salt marsh. You'll see the turtle blinking, breathing, looking around, and pushing through the sand. [If you can't see a video player in the e-mail message, click on the title of the post to go to the NHBH website.]
Good luck, little one!
P.S. With thanks to Eric for editing the video clip!
5 comments:
This series is wonderful! I can't wait to show them to my 11-year old grandson. What's the approximate size of these terrapins?
Thank you so much for the hatchling terrapin and musk turtle posts. They are incredibly beautiful. (And just so freakin adorable!) I've seen any number of sea turtle hatchling pics and videos, but I think these are the first I've ever seen of terrapins. Approximately how far do they have to go from nesting area to salt marsh? Wishing them safe journeys!
The shell length is ~3 cm, or a little more than 1 inch.
I've read that terrapins might nest up to 0.25 miles from the salt marsh where they live. These hatchlings were ~0.15 miles (or ~835 feet) from the closest salt marsh. It's farther than you might think!
835 feet is certainly a far distance if you are only 3cm long!
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