Adopt 2020 Diamondback Terrapin Hatchlings (Symbolic)

Want to stay connected and support the Georgia Sea Turtle Center? Symbolically adopting our rehabilitation patients is a great way to continue learning about sea turtles and staying connected. Symbolic adoptions make fantastic gifts! 

What’s included in the Adopt-a-Sea Turtle Package?* 

• Personalized Certificate of Adoption (electronic)
• Letter about your turtle
• Digital photograph of your turtle
• Species Profile
• Monthly email updates including a recent photo of your adopted turtle
• Email notice of all public GSTC release dates within the adoption period when available. (Release dates are subject to change without notice at any time.)

Due to habitat accessibility, regretfully, guests will NOT be able to attend the release. However, we will do our best to share photos and video with you.

*Allow 1-2 weeks for processing; the final day to purchase an adoption for guaranteed delivery by Christmas is December 15, 2020

To Symbolically Adopt a Turtle as a Gift:

If you would like to purchase a Symbolic Adoption package as a gift, please fill in the order information boxes with the Gift Recipient's information. Note: We will not delay processing packages for holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, or other gifts. Here's our suggestion for keeping it a surprise:

• Fill in the gift recipient's name in the box that says, "Name on Certificate."
• Write in your email address in the "Recipient Email Address" box. This will ensure that you receive adoption emails and not the eventual gift recipient. 
• After you have gifted the adoption, email us at gstceducation@jekyllisland.com to request that we change the email address associated with the adoption to the gift recipient's email address. 

About the 2020 Diamondback Terrapin Hatchlings

*Please note your adoption includes all of the 2020 Diamondback Terrapin Hatchlings as a group; you are not symbolically adopting an individual hatchling

Species: Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin)
Age: Hatchlings 
Sex: Female
Hatched: June - August 2020
Weight:  5.1 - 9.6 g / 0.18 - 0.34 oz 
Found: Jekyll Island, GA 
Rescued by: Georgia Sea Turtle Center Terrapin Patrol

Why We're Here:  Diamondback terrapins are a marsh species that require dry ground to nest above high tide. Unfortunately, road mortality is a major threat to nesting adult females. Diamondback terrapin hatchlings initially arrive to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center as eggs recovered from adult females struck by cars on the Jekyll Island Causeway. These eggs are incubated in the hospital. The hatchlings that emerge are cared for by staff for approximately one year to ensure healthy growth before release into the marsh.