Southcoast Terrapin Project (STP)

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        June marks the beginning of NECWA’s season of assisting diamondback terrapin turtles as they attempt to nest comfortably within sandy areas of Massachusetts. Since diamondback terrapins typically return to the same location each year to next, this task has become increasingly perilous for the turtles as they must traverse new roadways and avoid being struck by vehicles in order to reach their nesting areas. 

On June 7th, NECWA volunteers located one diamondback terrapin nest in a Marion turtle garden and surrounded it with a protective cage to dissuade predators, such as foxes and raccoons, from consuming the eggs within. Furthermore, NECWA volunteers assisted three adult female diamondback terrapins spotted in Wareham. 

Unlike the populations of land-dwelling turtles during the spring, which typically include sizable numbers of both male and female turtles, semi-aquatic turtles discovered on land, such as terrapins, are predominantly females seeking to lay eggs. The volunteers also documented 1 juvenile in Pocasset of a currently indeterminate sex which was observed in a salt marsh, a perfect yet threatened habitat for a young terrapin. As June and July continue to unfurl, NECWA volunteers will be working to transport terrapins to safety and protect their nests from harm! 


The sources for this post and helpful links which further information about Diamondback Terrapin turtles and the terrestrial Box Turtle are listed below:

https://www.massaudubon.org/places-to-explore/wildlife-sanctuaries/wellfleet-bay/projects/diamondback-terrapins

           https://www.mass.gov/info-details/eastern-box-turtle

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