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Northern Diamondback Terrapin

Northern Diamondback Terrapin line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Northern Diamondback Terrapin full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Northern Diamondback Terrapin was completed on 6.30.2011. I realized it had been quite a while since I had illustrated a turtle, and years since my last terrapin. So, keeping it with my goal of one day to illustrate all North American turtles I decided it was a good time to add this terrapin - the Northern Diamondback. The patterns on the shell of these turtles is amazing, and is a lot of fun to render (albeit time consuming.) The drawing is based on a photo by Brett Klaproth.

Info about the Northern Diamondback Terrapin:

The Northern Diamondback Terrapin is a sub-species of the genera of Malaclemys. Diamondback Terrapins are native to the brackish coastal swamps of the eastern and southern regions of North America, from as far north as Cape Cod in Massachusetts and down as far south as Florida and Texas. The name comes from the distinctive diamond shapes on the shell of the turtle. The coloration of oranges, reds, browns, grays, yellows and whites can vary from individual to individual, and species to species. Diamondback Terrapins have a very large variations of colorations, some of the most diverse in the order of Testudines. In most areas these turtles are considered vulnerable to near threatened. In 1994 the Diamondback Terrapin was made the State reptile and official mascot of the University of Maryland College Park