Why is umd mascot the terrapin

It is also the Maryland State Reptile. The suggestion was in response to The Diamondback's the school paper, even back then search for a new "official" mascot. Before this search, Maryland teams were called the Old Liners.

The terrapin, a turtle native to the Chesapeake Bay, seemed a great choice and a logical one coming from Byrd. His native Crisfield, MD was famous for its terrapins. While the origin of the terrapin as school mascot is well known, why the mascot was named Testudo is more mysterious.

Testudo got his start back in , when then-football coach Dr. Curley Byrd recommended that the Diamondback terrapin be made the school mascot. It is also the Maryland State Reptile. The suggestion was in response to The Diamondback's the school paper, even back then search for a new "official" mascot. Before this search, Maryland teams were called the Old Liners. The terrapin, a turtle native to the Chesapeake Bay, seemed a great choice and a logical one coming from Byrd. His native Crisfield, Maryland, was famous for its terrapins.

While the origin of the terrapin as school mascot is well known, why the mascot was named Testudo is more mysterious. One leading contender for the name's origin is that it was derived from the scientific classification for turtle, testudines.

Another theory is that the name is from testudo gigantia, a species native to the African country Seychelles and the remote island Aldabra.

On the suggestion of Ralph I. Williams, president of the Student Government Association, the Class of decided to give a bronze replica of the new mascot as its graduation gift. The Class raised money for the sculpture by holding its Junior Senior German aka the Senior Prom on campus instead of at an expensive Washington hotel. Additional funds came from the student yearbook The Reveille renamed The Terrapin in , which was managed by Harry E. Once the Class of came up with the funds for the bronze terrapin, the SGA donated money for the base.

In order to make the mascot a reality, Byrd suggested contacting Edwin C. Mayo was a former quarterback for the University and member of the Class of Curley Byrd recommended that the Diamondback terrapin be made the school mascot. It is also the Maryland State Reptile. Maryland was a founding member of the Southern Conference in ,….

A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 41, students, 14, faculty and staff, and , alumni all dedicated to the pursuit of Fearless Ideas. Spanning 12 schools and colleges, Maryland offers more than degree-granting programs, many of them ranked among the best in the country. Our faculty includes three Nobel laureates, two Pulitzer Prize winners, 60 members of the national academies and scores of Fulbright scholars. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search.