A Golden-colored Hatchling—and a Few More Surprises—for Cape Cod’s Terrapin Nesting Season

Since 2005, Wellfleet Bay has been protecting Diamondback Terrapin nests on the Outer Cape. These unique turtles are listed as Threatened in Massachusetts, navigating predators, habitat loss, cars, and climate change in order to survive.

Over the course of this project, there has been a steady increase in the number of nests we protect. During the 2024 season, our team saw dry conditions, clever predators, and a few more surprises, including a golden-colored hatchling terrapin—the first for our site!

A True Terrapin Sanctuary

Diamondback Terrapins are the only North American turtle that live exclusively in brackish water, where salt water from the ocean mixes with fresh water. Wellfleet marks their northernmost range for nesting, where we’re working to support their survival.

This year, staff worked with more than 125 volunteers to protect and monitor terrapin nests at nine locations spanning Wellfleet, Eastham, and Orleans. Working twice-daily shifts, these dedicated individuals searched for nests and installed protective caging to help keep out predators. Their efforts paid off, as we saw a record number of nests protected at both the sanctuary and on neighboring Lieutenant Island. Over 200 nests were recorded on sanctuary property, confirming for the first time that there are at least 100 mature female terrapins actively nesting at Wellfleet Bay (females can nest twice a season)!

Despite the lack of rain throughout much of July and all of August, the nests did well. This year, 82% of the eggs in protected nests survived, with an impressive 4,810 terrapin hatchlings released. After hatching, the turtles head into the nearby uplands where they will live for their first several years of life before making their way into the water for good. We hope that in about 10 years many of these hatchlings will come back to breed as adults.

A Shift in Nesting Locations

Cape Cod is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise from climate change, and this can impact terrapin habitats and nesting behaviors. Winter storms brought an extremely high tide to Lieutenant Island, depositing a salty wrack line across what was historically one of our most productive nesting “gardens,” known as Turtle Point. In previous years, this garden has seen as many as 55 protected nests, but this year, we were down to 38.

There’s evidence to suggest this dip was the result of a shift in where the turtles nested. Female terrapins seem to taste the sand for salt when looking for a nesting spot, perhaps to avoid areas where the eggs may get flooded by high tides. With the increased tide line now covering half of the garden, many nesting females searched for a new location. For the first time, the nearby “Way 100” turtle garden, located above the tide line, surpassed Turtle Point, with a record 51 nests.

Improving the Nest Protection Design

Terrapin eggs and hatchlings are at risk of becoming a meal for hungry foxes, skunks, raccoons, and coyotes. The covers that our volunteers install around the nests help to keep out predators, but these clever animals don’t give up easily.

This year, terrapin volunteer and researcher Barbara Brennessel began using a new design at one of our sites which protects the eggs from predators while allowing hatchlings to leave the nest on their own, minimizing human handling. Some persistent predators figured out how to breach these new devices early in the nesting season. Thankfully, the conservation team was able to successfully adjust the design to keep the eggs and hatchlings safe for the remainder of the summer.

A Golden-colored Turtle & More Surprising Results

The hatchling season also brought many surprises. The program team discovered our first ever golden-colored hatchling, as opposed to their typical brown and grey coloring. There are records of albino and partial albino turtles, but this hatchling doesn’t match anything we can find in the literature. As Bob Prescott, Sanctuary Director Emeritus, put it, “The pattern of the scutes on the shell is very different too. It’s not the usual dark circles. That’s the strangest looking hatchling I’ve ever seen.” While it is unclear why this hatchling emerged with such an unusual look, it’s notable that this reluctant youngster took a full month longer than its nest mates to emerge from its egg.

In addition, we saw a two-headed hatchling, one of only a few ever discovered in the program’s nearly five-decade history. Both heads are alert, active, and even eating. The hatchling(s) are spending time at a licensed wildlife rehabilitation facility where they are being monitored and cared for until they are big enough to undergo testing to determine how they are connected internally. 

Get Involved

We are so grateful to our hardworking terrapin volunteers who take the time to protect this impressive species and the salt marshes it calls home.

Nearly hunted to extinction in the nineteenth century as a culinary delicacy, and now facing increased predation, habitat loss, roadkill mortality, and the wildlife pet trade, this work is critical for preserving this species on Cape Cod.

Keep an eye out for future volunteer opportunities or donate today. 

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