Large Female Northern Diamondback Terrapin
 

I am new to this site so I am hoping this all works the way its supposed to. I have a 25 year old female Gulf Coast (Not Northern - See below) diamondback terrapin I would like to sell. She swims around my 500 gallon indoor pond all the time, never hides and loves to bask. She begs for food constantly, eats anything I give her (everything from pellets, veggies, frozen silversides/krill) and wants nothing more than to nibble on whatever you give (including your finger). I have never bred her. The guy I got her from said that she got beat up by one of his other turtles so she has a scar on the back of her neck. I live in St. Louis Missouri. I would like to find someone local but will ship if necessary. I am asking $200 (plus shipping).

What kind is she

Northern

I am very interested! please text me at 3214608890

Have you sold her yet ?

Just a heads up, this is not a Northern diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin terrapin. It is from the Gulf Coast, and looks to be either Mississippi, Malaclemys terrapin pileata, or from the area of intergradation between Mississippi and Ornate, Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota.

Gamboa1493 She is still available.

txtortuga thanks for the information. I have had a number of people check her out and Northern was the consensus but it sounds like you probably know better. No one I talked to previously seemed 100% certain. Do you think that changes the value of her? I honestly don't know. Thanks again!

Adam, I am absolutely certain she is from the Gulf of Mexico. I remember you posting a pic of her on the Diamondback Terrapin Facebook Page months ago. The going rate for a female Gulf Coast is about $250 - 300 for a female in excellent condition. Because of her external scarring, yet good viability as a breeder, I would put her at $200. The reason we use the term Gulf Coast in the hobby more and more is because most of the WC animals coming out of the Gulf states are from Louisiana as that is the only state that currently allows a regulated harvest of DBT. However in Louisiana you get a large mix of phenotypes. Typically hobbyists refer to the lighter colored LA terrapins as "Texans" and the darker colored as "Mississippi's". This is purely based on coloration and not on genetics. Aside from the light scars on this individual I notice that it has yellow markings on the edges of its marginal scutes. This is more common in the ornate diamondback terrapin Malaclemys terrapin macrospilota. One can find dark ornate diamondbacks without the "trademark" light-centered scutes and mustaches on the maxilla along the West Coast of Florida as well. For all of these reasons, it would be difficult to place the locality of origin of this turtle, and so just call it "Gulf Coast".

Jordan,

That is fantastic! I really appreciate all that information. Sometimes it is so hard to determine things like this but that is exactly the type of detail I am looking for! I will adjust the price and thank you again for your expertise!