Diamondback terrapins are tough to see in the wild and because of their long necks, are often mistaken for snakes when swimming! Look for them in late spring and in summer.

A good place to find them is The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, formerly Horsehead Wetlands in Grasonville.

If you want to get close enough to count the diamonds on a terrapin's back, visit a nature center or aquarium with captive animals. To see baby diamondbacks destined for release in a restored marsh, visit the Gift Shop at Herrington Harbour South Marina Resort in Friendship.

The National Aquarium in Baltimore displays terrapins in its tidal marsh exhibit, "Maryland: Mountains to the Sea."

You can also see your state reptile in the tanks of the Annapolis office of the Department of Natural Resources, in Jimmy Cantler's Riverside Inn’s outdoor tanks (during the summer) in Annapolis, and at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center in Millersville.