Long-term diamondback terrapin capture-recapture data from Kiawah Island, South Carolina (1983-2012)
Data files
Sep 30, 2026 version files 232.86 KB
Abstract
Long-lived species face some different challenges than short-lived species, and one of them is the lack of long-term data necessary to assess trends in population status. Diamondback terrapin populations in the Kiawah River have been monitored annually since 1983. Individuals were marked, and morphological data have been tracked at each sampling event. Surveys have documented significant changes in population status through time. Declines have been linked to accidental drowning as bycatch in blue crab traps, but more recent changes are enigmatic. For a long-lived species, the presence of adults does not indicate a thriving population, but shifts in size and age structures may provide early warning signals.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.31zcrjf36
Description of the data and file structure
Capture-mark-recapture and associated morphological measurements for diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) captured during the active season using a combination of seines, trammel nets, cast nets, and recoveries from crab pots.
Files and variables
File: Terrapin_Database_-Kiawah_River-1983-2012-Dryad-_Revised.xlsx
Description: Terrapin capture-mark-recapture data from a site on the Kiawah River, South Carolina, from 1983 to 2012.
Variables
- Identification Key (ID)
- Number of times captured (Capture)
- Capture Month (Month)
- Capture Day (Day)
- Capture Year (Year)
- Capture Location (Location)
- Method of Capture (MOC)
- Sex: Determined by external sexual characteristics
- Plastron Length (Plastron): Measured in mm as straight-line midline length
- Carapace Length (Carapace): Measured in mm as straight-line midline length
- Maximum Width (Width): Measured in mm as straight-line length
- Maximum Depth (Depth): Measured in mm as straight-line depth or height
- Mass: Measured in g
- Age: Estimated from counting shell annuli
- Age Reliability: Positive is most confident, followed by Probable and then Estimated. Calculated indicated that age was calculated from aging at a previous capture occasion.
- Eggs: The count of eggs detected by palpation of female terrapins. "0" in these cases indicates a female that was palpated, but no eggs were detected. No values indicate terrapins that were not palpated.
Missing values are indicated with blank cells.
Code/software
This file is a database in Microsoft Excel .xlsx
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
- NA, More recent years may be obtained by contacting the author.
Data was derived from the following sources:
- NA