Mississippi Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin pileata) Nest-Site Selection in the Northern Gulf of Mexico and Implications for Restoration

Andrew J. Heaton^1,*, Michael J. Archer¹, Emmett E. Carstens¹, Kimberly A. Cressman², and Jonathan L. Pitchford¹

¹Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss Point, MS 39562. ²US Geological Survey, Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Tennessee Tech University, 1100 N. Dixie Avenue, Box 5114, Cookeville, TN 38505. *Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 24, Issue 1 (2025): 57–69

First published early online: 30 March 2025

Abstract
Malaclemys terrapin pileata (Mississippi Diamondback Terrapin) in the northern Gulf of Mexico are facing several threats including loss of nesting habitat. Between June and September 2022, we surveyed beaches in Mississippi for depredated terrapin nests and collected elevation, substrate-type, and plant-community data at each nest and at a paired, randomized point. Logistic regression showed that elevation and the presence of Spartina patens (Saltmeadow Cordgrass) were associated with nest occurrence. Nesting often occurs above the mean high water (MHW) level to avoid prolonged nest inundation, and the lowest-elevation nests detected in our study were 0.3 m above MHW. The information resulting from this study can be used to inform management, monitoring, or future restoration efforts of this species.

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