Diamondback Terrapin ~ Fortescue Beach, NJ



The diamondback terrapin is believed to be the only turtle in the world that lives exclusively in brackish water (containing some salt, but not as much as ocean water), habitats like tidal marshes, estuaries and lagoons.
Most terrapins hibernate during the winter by burrowing into the mud of marshes.
Although diamondback terrapins live in tidal marshes, estuaries and lagoons, their preferred nesting sites are sandy beaches.


Hurricane Sandy (fall 2012) destroyed the sand beach in Fortescue prompting NJ to replace the road that separates the bay from the lagoon.
NJ built a beautiful blacktop road with a most unfortunate concrete wall that is about 2 feet tall.
There are very few openings for the turtles to cross the road resulting in many of them becoming trapped in the roadway, thus resulting in many run over critters.
My hubby saved 2 of them ~ you can see one of the turtles quickly "scampering" across the sand to the bay!