Baby Diamondback Turtles Arrive At Zoo Atlanta: WATCH

ATLANTA, GA — Some baby turtles have arrived at Zoo Atlanta in a cross-state move officials hope will raise awareness about threats facing the tiny (for now) Georgia natives.

The 25 diamondback terrapin hatchlings arrived at the zoo on Aug. 21 from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island.

Just weeks old, they now call a tidal creek habitat at the zoo home. At the same time, Zoo Atlanta sent 24 diamondback terrapins brought to the zoo last year back to the sea turtle center, which will prepare them to be released back into the wild.

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Zoo Atlanta supports the Jekyll Island Causeway Conservation Program by raising terrapins hatched from mothers who have been killed or injured by automobiles on and around the south Georgia island. The program works on a roadside management program aimed at reducing the number of terrapins hit by cars.

The baby terrapins spend about a year at the Atlanta zoo, until they are big enough to be less of a target for predators.

"We’re proud to support the Georgia Sea Turtle Center in the important work they do to educate the public and offset the threats to the diamondback terrapin, which is a natural treasure of our state," said Raymond B. King, president and CEO of Zoo Atlanta. "An important facet of conservation is the ability to address the challenges wild animals are facing in their natural habitats now.

"Our visitors can see, appreciate, and learn more about these young terrapins here at the zoo with the knowledge that they are part of a much broader effort to protect a species of Georgia’s own back yard."

Living along the eastern and Gulf coasts of the United States, from Cape Cod south to the Florida Keys and west to Texas, the diamondback terrapin is the only turtle species in North America that makes its home in brackish water.

Once numerous on the coast of Georgia, the species was driven nearly to extinction by hunting for turtle soup in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Diamondback terrapin numbers have recovered somewhat from those days, but highway deaths continue to be the turtles’ primary threat, along with changes to their habitat and drownings in crab pots.

"We’re pleased to partner with Zoo Atlanta on this educational exchange," said Dr. Terry Norton, a veterinarian and the director of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. "It’s great to share the coastal ecology story with those who might not get to see it in person."

The new terrapins can now be seen in the Georgia Tidal Creek in Scaly Slimy Spectacular: The Amphibian and Reptile Experience. Their shells are numbered with nontoxic paint for identification.

Anyone interested may visit Zoo Atlanta's conservation page for more information on programs and partnerships there. You may visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center online here.

Watch the hatchlings arriving at Zoo Atlanta in the video below:

Photos, video courtesy Zoo Atlanta