Terrapins are Back on Poplar!
May 30, 2018
Here is a video of the release of our "Class of 2018" terrapins! Thanks to all of our third grade students and teachers that took such excellent care of our Chesapeake Bay friends.
Meet Rocky! Watch the BES Terrapin on a LIVE video stream
The BES Robotic Ravens Team set up a live stream of Mrs. Goucher's diamondback terrapin tank. Click the button below to watch the terrapin live on UStream.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE TERRAPIN CAM WILL TEMPORARILY BE OFF LINE UNTIL LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON (April 9). Tune back in to watch Rocky live!
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE TERRAPIN CAM WILL TEMPORARILY BE OFF LINE UNTIL LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON (April 9). Tune back in to watch Rocky live!
Some interesting information collected by the BES Robotics Team
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Diamondback Terrapin You Are Observing
Questions Developed by the Robotic Ravens, 5th Grade Lego Robotics Team at BES
Questions answered by Mrs. Goucher, Third Grade Science Teacher at BES
What is the terrapin's name?
Rocky
How did the terrapin get its name?
Every third grade student suggested a name. We took the top 6 names and had them vote.
What does the terrapin eat?
Food pellets, beef liver, small fish, and live worms. It gets only one of these items each day, not all 4.
How often is it fed?
Once per day
What does the terrapin do most of the day?
It spends most of the day swimming around in the tank and crawling up on the basking ledge. It loves to follow the students fingers when they put them up to the tank.
What is in the terrapin's tank?
A filter, green leafy plant, basking ledge, heater, UVB light, a heat lamp and salt water
What does the terrapin like to play with?
It mostly just swims around and gets up on the rock. It seems to try and play with the students when they visit the tank.
When did Beach Elementary get the terrapin?
Fall 2017
What size was the terrapin in Fall 2017?
It was about 9 grams.
When and where will the terrapin be released?
It will be released on Poplar Island in late May or early June 2018. Poplar Island is about 8 miles from North Beach in the Chesapeake Bay.
About what size will it be when it is released?
It is hard to predict the weight, but it should be over 100 grams, about the size of a 3 year old terrapin. In March 2018, it is about 75 grams.
What does the terrapin do over the weekend and breaks?
Dr. Shisler, the principal, often feeds it on Sundays and Mr. Brooks, building service worker, comes in during school breaks to feed it. The terrapins can go up to 3 days without eating.
Diamondback Terrapin Research
Research Questions Developed by Robotic Ravens, 5th Grade Lego Robotics Team at BES
Researched by Robotic Ravens, 5th Grade Lego Robotics Team at BES
What are the physical features of a diamondback terrapin?
Diamondback Terrapins have diamond shaped markings and grooves on the scutes on their top shells. Their color ranges from medium gray to brown and sometime look black. Their skin color is a pale to dark gray too. The bottom shell is yellow to green and black and may be marked with dark blotches. Their feet are strongly webbed. Their back feet are larger and flat. They have very muscular legs.
scute
a thickened horny or bony plate on a turtle's shell or on the back of a crocodile, stegosaurus, etc.
~ The National Aquarium
What is the natural habitat of the diamondback terrapin?
The northern Diamondback Terrapin lives on the Atlantic coast from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The Diamondback Terrapin live in the brackish waters of salt marshes. They like tidal creeks where they nest in sand dunes from June through July. As hatchlings they stay in their nest to ride out their first winter. They leave the nest in April and May to go to their brackish water habitat.
~ www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2723&q=326000
How have the diamondback terrapin been affected by animals?
Terrapin eggs are getting eaten by predators such as skunks, raccoons, dogs, skunks, herons, large fish, and foxes.
~ The National Aquarium
What threatens the diamondback terrapins?
Terrapins could drown in crab traps. Males are affected more than females because males are smaller. Boat propellers and getting run over by cars are also threats to terrapins.
~ Marylandzoo.org
What the diamondback terrapins eat?
Because terrapins are omnivores, they eat both plant and animals. Terrapins have a diet of mollusks, thin shelled ones like a periwinkle snails and shrimp. They also eat lots of small fish and some plants.
~ Britannica
What is the status of the diamondback terrapins in the world?
Diamondback terrapin populations have declined considerably in many parts of their geographic range and are listed as endangered, threatened or species of special concern in some states. The current status of the northern diamondback population throughout the Chesapeake and coastal bays is unknown. The species is currently classified as “apparently secure” by both Maryland and Virginia.
~ National Aquarium http://www.aqua.org/explore/animals/diamondback-terrapin
Maryland has acted to protect Diamondback Terrapins. Effective July 1, 2007, it is unlawful to take or possess them for commercial purposes (Chapters 117 & 118, Acts of 2007; Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 4-902).
~ http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/symbols/html/reptile.html
What is a great source to learn about terrapins?
~ http://www.dtwg.org/Bibliography/Publications/PFau%20and%20Roosenburg%202010.pdf
Diamondback terrapins in Maryland: Research and conservation
www.dtwg.org
About the Diamondback Terrapin You Are Observing
Questions Developed by the Robotic Ravens, 5th Grade Lego Robotics Team at BES
Questions answered by Mrs. Goucher, Third Grade Science Teacher at BES
What is the terrapin's name?
Rocky
How did the terrapin get its name?
Every third grade student suggested a name. We took the top 6 names and had them vote.
What does the terrapin eat?
Food pellets, beef liver, small fish, and live worms. It gets only one of these items each day, not all 4.
How often is it fed?
Once per day
What does the terrapin do most of the day?
It spends most of the day swimming around in the tank and crawling up on the basking ledge. It loves to follow the students fingers when they put them up to the tank.
What is in the terrapin's tank?
A filter, green leafy plant, basking ledge, heater, UVB light, a heat lamp and salt water
What does the terrapin like to play with?
It mostly just swims around and gets up on the rock. It seems to try and play with the students when they visit the tank.
When did Beach Elementary get the terrapin?
Fall 2017
What size was the terrapin in Fall 2017?
It was about 9 grams.
When and where will the terrapin be released?
It will be released on Poplar Island in late May or early June 2018. Poplar Island is about 8 miles from North Beach in the Chesapeake Bay.
About what size will it be when it is released?
It is hard to predict the weight, but it should be over 100 grams, about the size of a 3 year old terrapin. In March 2018, it is about 75 grams.
What does the terrapin do over the weekend and breaks?
Dr. Shisler, the principal, often feeds it on Sundays and Mr. Brooks, building service worker, comes in during school breaks to feed it. The terrapins can go up to 3 days without eating.
Diamondback Terrapin Research
Research Questions Developed by Robotic Ravens, 5th Grade Lego Robotics Team at BES
Researched by Robotic Ravens, 5th Grade Lego Robotics Team at BES
What are the physical features of a diamondback terrapin?
Diamondback Terrapins have diamond shaped markings and grooves on the scutes on their top shells. Their color ranges from medium gray to brown and sometime look black. Their skin color is a pale to dark gray too. The bottom shell is yellow to green and black and may be marked with dark blotches. Their feet are strongly webbed. Their back feet are larger and flat. They have very muscular legs.
scute
a thickened horny or bony plate on a turtle's shell or on the back of a crocodile, stegosaurus, etc.
~ The National Aquarium
What is the natural habitat of the diamondback terrapin?
The northern Diamondback Terrapin lives on the Atlantic coast from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The Diamondback Terrapin live in the brackish waters of salt marshes. They like tidal creeks where they nest in sand dunes from June through July. As hatchlings they stay in their nest to ride out their first winter. They leave the nest in April and May to go to their brackish water habitat.
~ www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2723&q=326000
How have the diamondback terrapin been affected by animals?
Terrapin eggs are getting eaten by predators such as skunks, raccoons, dogs, skunks, herons, large fish, and foxes.
~ The National Aquarium
What threatens the diamondback terrapins?
Terrapins could drown in crab traps. Males are affected more than females because males are smaller. Boat propellers and getting run over by cars are also threats to terrapins.
~ Marylandzoo.org
What the diamondback terrapins eat?
Because terrapins are omnivores, they eat both plant and animals. Terrapins have a diet of mollusks, thin shelled ones like a periwinkle snails and shrimp. They also eat lots of small fish and some plants.
~ Britannica
What is the status of the diamondback terrapins in the world?
Diamondback terrapin populations have declined considerably in many parts of their geographic range and are listed as endangered, threatened or species of special concern in some states. The current status of the northern diamondback population throughout the Chesapeake and coastal bays is unknown. The species is currently classified as “apparently secure” by both Maryland and Virginia.
~ National Aquarium http://www.aqua.org/explore/animals/diamondback-terrapin
Maryland has acted to protect Diamondback Terrapins. Effective July 1, 2007, it is unlawful to take or possess them for commercial purposes (Chapters 117 & 118, Acts of 2007; Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 4-902).
~ http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/symbols/html/reptile.html
What is a great source to learn about terrapins?
~ http://www.dtwg.org/Bibliography/Publications/PFau%20and%20Roosenburg%202010.pdf
Diamondback terrapins in Maryland: Research and conservation
www.dtwg.org
The Votes are In!
Meet Shadow, Windy Hill's New Terrapin
October 7, 2017
Shadow's name was chosen via an online survey completed by all 3rd grade students at WHES. Ms. Wright's class is graphing the results which will be placed on a hallway bulletin board. Students will be charting his weight each month!
Shadow loved his liver nibble today too! It's amazing how many students didn't know what beef liver was and that humans eat it too!
Shadow loved his liver nibble today too! It's amazing how many students didn't know what beef liver was and that humans eat it too!
Check out the Latest Sunderland Seahawk!
September 27, 2017
Third grade teacher, Amy Williams from Sunderland shared a fantastic slide show that was presented on the "SeaHawk News"! Please send images, videos, or student work from your terrapin and we will post it here on Terrapin Tails!!
Another Terrapin Season Begins!
September 27, 2017
On September 20, we had our terrapin teacher training at the CHESPAX office. Each elementary school, Calvert Country School, and three of our high schools all sent representatives to the training and went home with a hatchling terrapin.
Release!
June 6, 2017
All of our elementary terrapins are back in the Bay! Check out the release video taken on Poplar Island.
A Terrapin in the Hand
September 14, 2016
Third Grade Teacher, Amy Williams from Sunderland Elementary sent us this picture of her classroom terrapin. Please feel free to share your photos, videos, and student work for the Terrapin Tails blog!
Teacher Training 2016!
September 13, 2016
Calvert's Terrapin Team members met at the CHESPAX office on Tuesday to get training from the National Aquarium. As a special treat, a presentation by Dr. Willem Roosenburg, a professor from Ohio University and the Principal Investigator on the terrapin research taking place on Poplar Island, helped the teachers understand the wider research project that includes the terrapin headstart project. Teachers went home with their hatchling terrapins as another year of the Terrapins in the Classroom program has begun!
Terrapins in the News!
August 2016
When the CHESPAX staff were out on Poplar last June for the terrapin release, we met up with a news crew from Channel Four that were filming a story on the Chesapeake Bay. Some of our terps made the news! Click the button below to view the story.
2015-2016 Terrapins Back in the Bay!
June 2016
Our Terrapin Class of 2016 has graduated from our third grade classrooms and are back in the Chesapeake Bay!
Click the button below to link to the youtube video of the release.
Click the button below to link to the youtube video of the release.
Meet Squirt!
Mt. Harmony Elementary's new addition
September 28, 2015
Ms. Fagan from Mt. Harmony Elementary, shared this wonderful photograph of Squirt, the classroom terrapin. You can see a little bit of shed skin around Squirt's neck. Like most reptiles, terrapins will shed their skin as they grow. We encourage all of our terrapin keepers to share their photos, video, artwork, or student writing connected to the Terrapins in the Classroom project.
Terrapins in the Stream!
Check out the live video feed of the terrapin at Huntingtown Elementary
September 18, 2015
If you need a little extra "terrapin time", check out the live video stream of our terp at Huntingtown Elementary. Mrs. Clime's third grade class has invited us to watch their turtle 24/7, through a webcam placed near their aquarium. Be sure to check in from time to time to see how the little terrapin is growing and to observe its daily behavior. Click the Terrapin Stream button below to check in!
A New Year!
The terrapins have arrived
September 10, 2015
We have some new additions to our third grade classrooms today! Our diamondback terrapins are currently exploring their new homes in our twelve elementary schools and at the Calvert Country School. Many thanks to the National Aquarium for allowing us to share in this wonderful project!
These terrapins will spend most of the school year in their classroom aquariums where they will grow to a much larger size than their brothers and sisters back on Poplar Island. The island is the location where our little turtles hatched just a few weeks ago. In June, they will be released back into the wetlands near their hatch site. To see a video of last year's release, check out the post below from June 12.
Yesterday our third grade teachers visited the CHESPAX office to pick up their terrapin and to learn about their care. Stacy Trust from the National Aquarium gave a great presentation to prepare our teachers for another year as "Terrapin Keepers".
These terrapins will spend most of the school year in their classroom aquariums where they will grow to a much larger size than their brothers and sisters back on Poplar Island. The island is the location where our little turtles hatched just a few weeks ago. In June, they will be released back into the wetlands near their hatch site. To see a video of last year's release, check out the post below from June 12.
Yesterday our third grade teachers visited the CHESPAX office to pick up their terrapin and to learn about their care. Stacy Trust from the National Aquarium gave a great presentation to prepare our teachers for another year as "Terrapin Keepers".
Our third graders will have a great opportunity to observe these terrapins first hand and through our CHESPAX science unit, learn about ways in which we can protect our Maryland state reptile! Please do share your videos, photos, artwork and writings about your diamondback terrapin. We will post them right here for everyone to enjoy!
Back in the Bay
Class of 2015 terrapins have returned to Poplar Island
June 12, 2015
How are they Growing?
Graphing the Results
We should take frequent measurements of the terrapins to make sure that they are growing at a proper rate. Since we are looking at change over time, this can be a great opportunity to have students represent authentic data on a graph.
An easy graphing program is available on the web through the U.S. Department of Education. The website, Create a Graph, has features that allow the user to make a variety of graphs and save them for use in the classroom or for posting on the web.
Click on the button below to visit the Create A Graph website
An easy graphing program is available on the web through the U.S. Department of Education. The website, Create a Graph, has features that allow the user to make a variety of graphs and save them for use in the classroom or for posting on the web.
Click on the button below to visit the Create A Graph website
The Terrapins Have Arrived!
August 29, 2014
Yesterday, Stacy Trust from the National Aquarium paid a visit to CHESPAX to provide a training session for our third grade terrapin teachers. We learned about terrapin care and how this project fits in to a larger research project taking place on Poplar Island.
We look forward to seeing pictures, videos, podcasts, writings, and other work from our third grade terrapin keepers! Please send us your work and we'll post it here on Terrapin Tails! Below are some photos (taken by Steve O'Neill) from the training session.
Yesterday, Stacy Trust from the National Aquarium paid a visit to CHESPAX to provide a training session for our third grade terrapin teachers. We learned about terrapin care and how this project fits in to a larger research project taking place on Poplar Island.
We look forward to seeing pictures, videos, podcasts, writings, and other work from our third grade terrapin keepers! Please send us your work and we'll post it here on Terrapin Tails! Below are some photos (taken by Steve O'Neill) from the training session.