About Turtles

Turtles of Massachusetts

Turtles are reptiles that live and feed in all types of habitats, including wooded forests and fields as well as ponds, salt marshes and open oceans. Regardless of where they are found, all turtles are tied to the land for when it is time to nest, females must lay their eggs on land.

There are 11 different species of turtles that live and nest in Massachusetts. Sea turtles are annual visitors to our offshore waters each summer and fall, but they nest and spend their winters in southern, more tropical areas. Of the 11 species that do nest in Massachusetts, only 1 is not native to the State.

Species native to Massachusetts are the:

• Blanding's Turtle
• Bog Turtle
• Diamondback Terrapin
• Eastern Box Turtle
• Eastern Musk Turtle
• Northern Red-bellied Cooter
• Painted Turtle
• Snapping Turtle
• Spotted Turtle
• Wood Turtle

The Red-earred Slider is the only non-native species and in 2014, it became illegal in Massachusetts to own or sell this animal due to the possible spread of salmonella, as well as other health concerns and environmental issues.

The 6 species of turtle that are listed under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA) are the:

• Blanding's Turtle (Threatened)
• Bog Turtle (Endangered in MA and Federally Threatened)
• Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Threatened)
• Northern Red-bellied Cooter (Endangered in MA and Federally Endangered)
• Eastern Box Turtle (Species of Special Concern)
• Wood Turtle (Species of Special Concern)

NECWA is putting together a guide that reviews the different turtles that can be found in Massachusetts. We are putting the finishing touches on this guide so please check back.

All of the species listed above are aquatic except for the Eastern Box Turtle which spends the majority of its life on land. However, even this land-loving species inhabits many types of habitats, including woodlands and fields as well as along the edges of marshes, bogs and streams. The Eastern Box Turtle is also the only turtle that can close itself completely within its shell if it senses danger. This comes in handy when one encounters a predator like a fox or coyote, but it doesn't help when crossing a road and trying to dodge vehicles. This page has many resources for you to use and one includes how to safely move turtles across roads. We all need to help these animals survive for they are amazing, deserving in their own right and are our backyard neighbors.

Why Do Turtles Cross the Road?

In the spring and early summer, reproductively mature females leave the safety of their pond, stream or marsh in search of a good nesting site. So when you see a turtle “out and about,” it may be heading to the nesting site or it may have nested and be on its way home.

If you find an injured turtle

Put it in a box or bucket and then call:

• Wareham, Marion, Mattapoisett area:
  NECWA hotline: 508-566-0009
• On Cape:
  Cape Wildlife Center: 508-362-0111
• Elsewhere:
  Tufts Wildlife Clinic, Cummings Veterinary Medical Center: 508-839-7918

If You See A Turtle Crossing The Road

So what do you do if you see a turtle by the side of the road or in the road? If the situation is safe for you, you can stop and help it across. Always move the turtle across the road in the direction that it was heading. When picking up a turtle, never lift it up by its tail for you can injure or dislocate its backbone. Be careful when handling a turtle for they do not understand that you are only trying to help them. Turtles have strong jaws and they will use them if they feel threatened or in any type of danger, and you can't blame them! When you get the turtle to the other side of the road, place the animal as far away from the road's edge as you can. To learn more about safely moving different types of turtles across roads or other obstructions, click on the links below.

• Helping Turtles Cross Roads
• Video on Safely Moving a Snapping Turtle Across the Road
• What to do when a turtle is in the road, Turtle Rescue League