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Information about Terrapin

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A diamondback terrapin
A terrapin is a turtle that lives in fresh or brackish water.[1]

Etymology

The word is derived from an Algonquian for the brackish water species diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin.[2]

Taxonomy

Although sometimes superficially similar to sea turtles in shape, having webbed feet and thinner shells than fully terrestrial tortoises, terrapins don't belong to the sea turtle superfamily Chelonioidea. In British English, the species most commonly referred to as terrapins are members of the family Emydidae including the red-eared slider Trachemys scripta elegans and the slider terrapin Trachemys dorbignyi.[3] Perhaps confusingly, although the genus to which the box turtles belong, Terrapene, sounds similar to the word terrapin, these turtles are not normally called terrapins.[1]

Usage of the name "terrapin" in British and American English compared

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Different animals are called turtles, tortoises, or terrapins in different varieties of English
The name "terrapin" is unambiguously applied to the diamondback terrapin Malaclemys terrapin in both British English and American English; the name originally being used by early European settlers in North America to describe these brackish water reptiles that inhabited neither freshwater habitats nor the sea.[5] However, in American English the name is not routinely applied to other semi-aquatic or freshwater turtles, unlike the situation in British English where any such turtle might be called a terrapin.[1]

References

1. ^ David Alderton (1986). An Interpet Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians, p. 63. Salamander Books Ltd., London & New York.
2. ^ American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Terrapin. Retrieved on 2007-08-05.
3. ^ David Alderton (1986). An Interpet Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians, p. 62. Salamander Books Ltd., London & New York.
4. ^ David Alderton (1986). An Interpet Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians, p. 63. Salamander Books Ltd., London & New York.
5. ^ David Alderton (1986). An Interpet Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians, p. 70. Salamander Books Ltd., London & New York.
6. ^ David Alderton (1986). An Interpet Guide to Reptiles & Amphibians, p. 63. Salamander Books Ltd., London & New York.
Testudines
Linnaeus, 1758

Diversity
ca. 300 species in 14 extant families.

blue: sea turtles, black: land turtles


Suborders

Cryptodira
Pleurodira
See text for families.
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Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve.
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Brackish water (less commonly brack water) is water that is saltier than fresh water, but not as salty as seawater. It may result from mixing of seawater with fresh water, as in estuaries, or it may occur in brackish fossil aquifers.
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Algonquian (also Algonquin) languages are a subfamily of Native American languages that includes most of the languages in the Algic language family (the two Algic languages that are not Algonquian are Wiyot and Yurok of northwestern California).
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Malaclemys
Gray, 1844

Species: M. terrapin

Binomial name
Malaclemys terrapin
Schoepf, 1793

Synonyms
Emys Concentrica

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Testudinidae

Genera

Chersina
Cylindraspis (extinct)
Dipsochelys
Geochelone
Gopherus
Homopus
Indotestudo
Kinixys
Malacochersus
Manouria

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British English (BrE, BE, en-GB) is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere in the Anglophone world.
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Emydidae

Subfamilies

 Emydinae
 Deirochelyinae
Emydidae is a family of box and water turtles, including the common Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) and the European Pond Turtle (Emys orbicularis).
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T. s. elegans

Trinomial name
Trachemys scripta elegans
(Wied-Neuwied, 1839)

The Red-eared Turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) is a semi-aquatic turtle (terrapin) belonging to the family Emydidae.
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box turtle is one of several species of turtles. It can refer to either those of the genera Cuora or Pyxidea, which are the Asian box turtles, or more commonly to species of the genus Terrapene, the North American box turtles.
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American English (AmE, AE, AmEng, USEng, en-US), also known as United States English or U.S. English, is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States.
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North America is a continent [1] in the Earth's northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the south and west
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