In the News

October 17, 2007

Terrapin hatchlings recently released at Dartmouth marsh
By Christina Styan, Staff Writer, The Chronicle

DARTMOUTH — Nine baby diamondback terrapin turtles recently received a head start on their wild lives when Lloyd Center research associate Jamie Bogart released them into the Slocum River marsh.

"This is the first successful hatched clutch documented on the Slocum River,"
Mr. Bogart said, noting another confirmed hatch was found near Allen's Pond by the Audubon Society.

The terrapin turtle is the only brackish water turtle in Massachusetts and remains on the threatened species list. As their name implies, the little turtles have amazingly beautiful diamond markings on their shells. Their natural predators include skunks, raccoons, fox, coyotes and surprisingly, ants. "When an egg starts to ooze it attracts ants," explained Mr. Bogart.

Turtle management usually begins when the nest is found nearly buried in sand, often in a fairly public area. Located near a picnic table, this clutch contained 10 eggs, out of which nine terrapins were hatched.

Mr. Bogart enclosed the area with a wire fence to keep predators and the public away from the nest while incubation took place, usually 60 to 70 days, and the eggs were salvaged near the hatching point. When the time was right, he dug up the eggs from the protected area to give them "head start" time under controlled temperatures in moist sand. The researcher noted that the incubation period determines what the sex of the turtle is going to be. In warmer temperatures, the turtle hatchlings will all be females.

The Dartmouth terrapins emerged from their eggs between Sept. 26 and 30, and a week later were ready to go back home. If the turtles hatch early enough they are released in the wild. If retrieved later, many are raised in area schools for a spring release.

The recent release at the Slocum River marsh took place on an ideal fall day with the sun shining and the temperature in the upper 60s. All nine hatchlings were quite active and seemed anxious to get into the marsh. The females will grow to
9-10 inches, and are smaller than the males of the species. Terrapins may live for 40 years.

Terrapin hatchlings typically claw their way to the surface, but also spend some time buried in the sand. If hatched in the wild, they would immediately head for the estuary shoreline or salt marsh and bury themselves for the winter. Their yolk reserves nourish them during that time.

An informal association called Scute, referring to the distinctive plates on the terrapin's back, conducts an annual South Coast terrapin survey. The Scute association is a consortium between the Lloyd Center, Tabor Academy, Massachusetts Audubon, the former Children's Museum, and the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust, with the Buttonwood Park Zoo helping with the turtle management program.

The research at the Lloyd Center includes standard protocols which includes taking measurements and weighing the hatchlings. The released turtles are not marked because "we really can't keep track of them once they are reintroduced back into their natural habitat," said Mr. Bogart.

As Mr. Bogart released each turtle in a different section of the marsh, each tiny terrapin scurried off into the grass and reeds, quickly becoming almost the same color as the mud. "They require the estuary and the marsh for cover during the winter. We want to keep them in the wild and intervene as little as possible," Mr. Bogart added.