Over the past five summers (2006 to 2010), we've captured over 2,000 terrapins in the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Of those turtles, 17.4% have scars or open wounds from past or present injuries. Many of these injuries were caused by predators or by anthropogenic sources such as automobiles or boat propellers. I've always been interested in boat injuries considering that most of my research is based on the effects of recreational boat sounds on terrapin behavior. Of the injured terrapins we've captured in Forsythe, 18.9% of those injuries were attributed to boat propellers. It's pretty easy to tell if an injury was caused by boat strike because there is a slash mark in the terrapin's shell from the propeller. Typically, these injuries cause major damage in both the carapace (top shell) and plastron (bottom shell). I apologize for the graphic photos, but this is yet another example of why the terrapins in Barnegat Bay need your help. Sign up for an expedition to help save the terps this summer!
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