Turtles

Turtles are reptiles, like snakes and lizards, but they’re more ancient than either of those groups. The first turtles appeared over 200 million years ago. Although many turtle species live in the water, all must breathe air and lay eggs on land.

Identification

All turtles have shells. Because these shells are made of modified bones like ribs, turtles can’t crawl out of them. The shell covering a turtle's body consists of a top part called the carapace, a bottom part called the plastron, and connecting parts called bridges.

Turtles have no teeth. Instead, their jaws are hard and bony with sharp edges.

Types of Turtles Found in Massachusetts

There are 10 species of turtles in Massachusetts. They range from the tiny bog turtle, which measures 3-4” long, to the snapping turtle, which can reach up to 19” long. In addition, five sea turtles have also been found offshore, or stranded on beaches.

If you come across any turtles listed under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act, it should be photographed to confirm the identification and the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program should be notified.

Sea Turtles Found on Cape Cod

Most adult sea turtles are truly tropical or sub-tropical creatures. Yet certain species of juvenile sea turtles come north to feed along the East Coast and return south before the onset of winter. While highly unlikely, it is possible, with luck, to find four species of sea turtles in Cape Cod waters.

All four species are listed as either "Threatened" or "Endangered" under both the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA). This means it's illegal to harass them, and you cannot transport them without a permit.

Sea turtle staff at Mass Audubon Cape Cod are the federally mandated responders to all sea turtle strandings in southeastern Massachusetts. Staff conduct year-round sea turtle work under a US Fish & Wildlife Service permit, which is jointly administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Learn more about our sea turtle rescue work

Kemp's Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)

Status: Critically Endangered

The smallest and most endangered sea turtle in the world, the Kemp's Ridley is also the most common turtle found cold-stunned on Massachusetts bayside beaches. Juveniles in our waters are typically only three to ten pounds, but adults can grow up to 100 pounds further south. Several hundred to a thousand juveniles typically become cold-stunned and strand each winter on Cape Cod.

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta)

Status: Threatened

Loggerheads have the largest geographic distribution of any sea turtle in the world. Juveniles and subadults in our waters can vary widely in size—between five and 200 pounds —and full-grown adults average 260 pounds. Loggerheads are becoming a commonly stranded species on Cape Cod. In recent years, an average of 25 are found cold-stunned, with a high of nearly 150 in 2012.

Green (Chelonia mydas)

Status: Threatened

Named for the green color of their body fat, Green turtles are growing increasingly threatened. Like Loggerheads, juvenile Greens have been stranding on Cape Cod beaches in increasing numbers during the late fall/ early winter months—up to a few dozen per year in the past few years. Juveniles in our waters can weigh anywhere from three to 20 pounds, and adults average 310 pounds. 

Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea)

Status: Endangered

Leatherbacks are the largest turtle species in the world. Through both behavioral and physical adaptations, they can raise their internal body temperature significantly above the temperature of the surrounding seawater. This allows them to swim and feed in much colder water than the other sea turtle species without becoming cold-stunned. 

But they can still be severely injured or killed by vessel strikes, fishing gear entanglement, and ingesting plastic, resulting in their stranding on Massachusetts beaches in the summer and early fall. Full-grown adult Leatherbacks can reach up to eight feet in length and weigh 1,500 pounds! 

Hybrids

Kemp's Ridley, Loggerheads, and Greens will all hybridize with each other on occasion, and several hybrids have been found cold-stunned. Careful scrutiny of scute pattern and other physical characteristics is required to identify a hybrid, and genetic testing is necessary to determine the parent species with certainty. 

Behavior

Turtles are frequently seen basking in the sun on logs, rocks, or embankments. This behavior serves many purposes, including helping to promote muscle activity and digestion, encouraging leeches and other parasites to drop off, and triggering the production of vitamin D, which is essential for strong shells.

People often ask, “What do turtles do in the winter?” All but one of our species overwinter in mud and leaf litter in water bodies, like bottom of lakes, ponds, tidal flats, or gentle streams, and may become active during warm spells. The eastern box turtle is the exception: it burrows into loose soil or sand or seeks shelter in old mammal holes.

Turtles have varied diets. For example, the diet of eastern box turtles includes fruit and slugs, diamond-backed terrapins will eat crustaceans and mollusks, and snapping turtles will eat plants, crayfish, and carrion (dead or decaying animal flesh).

Life Cycle

All turtles, including sea turtles, lay their eggs on land. Female turtles dig their nests in summer, typically in June or July. Some species will excavate a number of holes; these "false nests" may serve as deterrents for predators. After laying eggs in the hole and covering them with dirt, the female departs.

After two or three months, the young turtles hatch underground (though the young of some species will overwinter in the nest). The hatchlings dig their way to the surface and head for their preferred habitat. At this point they are very vulnerable, and often fall prey to skunks, raccoons, foxes, mink, bullfrogs, hawks, and other carnivores.

Situations & Solutions

Turtles often find themselves navigating developed areas—you may find a turtle crossing a busy road or laying eggs in your yard. We can help you decide when to intervene. In most cases, turtles should be left alone, and we also discourage people from taking wild turtles as pets.

Turtles Crossing Roads

In late spring and early summer, adult female turtles cross roads in search of nest sites. Each species has a different habitat requirement, but when searching for a nest site they usually choose sandy or loose soil in lawns, tilled or mowed fields, roadsides, and occasionally backyard compost piles.

It is often assumed that something is wrong when a turtle is crossing the road. People, with best intentions, mistakenly attempt to return it to water, take it home, or, take it somewhere that seems safer and release it. But the best thing to do is leave it alone. The turtle knows where it wants to go and may have been nesting in the same spot for many years—or even decades.

If a small turtle is in danger of being hit by cars, it can be moved in the direction it was headed, to the other side of the road. Snapping turtles can be dangerous and should not be handled. They are surprisingly fast for their size and can extend their necks the length of their carapace. NEVER pick up a snapping turtle by the tail because you could seriously injure it.

Turtles Laying Eggs in Yards

Turtles that are looking to lay eggs frequently wander into yards, especially those near ponds, lakes, and rivers. These animals should not be disturbed, but can be observed from a distance.

People often ask whether they should protect a turtle’s nest with fencing. This is not an easy question to answer. Predators that seek turtle eggs are usually a natural part of the environment. If you wish, you may flag the site in order to locate it in the fall and possibly observe the hatchlings.

Wild Turtles in Captivity

A serious threat to turtle populations has been the collection of turtles as pets. By law, only two species of turtles may be taken from the wild: snapping turtles and painted turtles. However, Mass Audubon discourages people from taking any turtle from the wild for the following reasons:

• It reduces local populations.
• If the owner grows tired of the responsibility and releases a turtle back into the wild, the animal may not survive, depending on the age when it was captured, the length of time in captivity, and the location of its release.
• Turtles need special care so that they don’t suffer from skin infections and shell abscesses. Improper nutrition may result in eye disease, the softening of the shell, and the loss of bone mass.

Turtles and the Law

Massachusetts law makes it illegal to possess any turtle listed on the state and/or federal endangered species list. Although it is legal to collect some turtle species, we discourage anyone from doing so. No turtles, including snapping turtles, can be caught and sold for food without a permit from the state.

If you find a turtle that is listed under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act, take a picture to confirm the identification, and notify the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.