Turtle Journal

Sue Wieber Nourse with Fourth Great Neck Box Turtle

This weekend the Turtle Journal team recorded the fourth Eastern box turtle at Mass Audubon’s Great Neck Sanctuary in Wareham, Massachusetts.  Above, Sue Wieber Nourse examines this very attractive male box turtle in front of the Great Neck sign.

Great Neck Sanctuary Male Eastern Box Turtle

Incredibly handsome, this male box turtle sports bright red eyes surrounded by deep orange skin with a tinge of yellow in his cowl.  His carapace is quite dark with golden highlights.  This fellow is marked #3 for future identification.

Four Eastern Box Turtles @ Great Neck Sanctuary

Since its opening last summer, we have identified four Eastern box turtles within the Great Neck Sanctuary.  Two, #2 and #1100, are females; two, #3 and C, are males.  All are mature adults.  No juveniles or hatchlings have yet to be found.  Click on the image above for an enlarged photograph of these turtles for easy identification.  If you encounter a box turtle during your walk along the trails of the Great Neck Sanctuary, don’t hesitate to call the Turtle Journal hotline at 508-274-5108 or email us at theturtleguy@comcast.net.

Male Eastern Box Turtle in MAS Great Neck Sanctuary

After an examination, a complete set of measurements, and after being marked with a triangular notch in his third right marginal scute for lifelong identification, this male Eastern box turtle was released deep inside the Huckleberry Loop of the Great Neck Wildlife Sanctuary.  Keep a sharp eye out for him and his companions when you’re hiking through Wareham.

Turtle Journal Team Releases Female Terrapins

At noon on Sunday, Sue Wieber Nourse netted two large female  diamondback terrapins in Buzzards Bay’s Sippican Habor.  Both turtles had previously been captured by the Turtle Journal team and had been under study since 2005.  Terrapin #284, measuring nearly 21 centimeters long and weighing 1538 grams, was palpably gravid.  Eggs could be detected still fairly high in the duct.   Terrapins #79, measuring a little over 20 centimeters and weighing 1492 grams, was not papably gravid.  With detection of eggs in the oviduct, we anticpate nesting to commence on the SouthCoast within 15 to 18 days.

Eastern Box Turtle Couple (Female Rear, Male Front)

Rains drenched the SouthCoast of Massachusetts. Wonderful, springtime rains that soak woodlands and refresh wetlands. Days like these mark the moment when Eastern box turtles emerge from burrows and replenish loss hydration incurred during nearly seven months of slumber.  And this last winter and spring have witnessed considerable dryness and drought in Eastern Massachusetts.

Sue Wieber Nourse Re-Discovers Rescued New Bedford Turtle

With that in mind, the Turtle Journal team visited Great Neck Sanctuary in Wareham this morning.  Sue Wieber Nourse quickly found a gorgeous female box turtle crossing the path and luxuriating in a muddy puddle bath.  As luck would have it, we discovered this turtle was the one that had been rescued from the busy streets of New Bedford last summer.  We had placed her here in the Great Neck Sanctuary on October 3rd, hoping she would acclimate to the new habitat, survive the winter, and adopt Great Neck as her new home.  (See Homeless “Street Turtle” Finds a Sanctuary.)

Male Eastern Box Turtle

Clearly, she has been doing quite fine.  We weighed her at 675 grams when we released her in the fall.  Today she tipped the scales at 681 grams after seven months of brumation.  And just a few feet down the path, we found this handsome dude hanging around … obviously waiting for our attractive lady.  So, she has already found a beau in her new neighborhood.

Adorable Box Turtle Couple @ Great Neck Sanctuary

The male box turtle felt light compared to the female.  He weighed just 493 grams even though he measured only a little more than a 1/2 centimeter shorter in shell length.  Like most males, he sports bright red, “boodshot” eyes, while our attractive lady has the beautiful, tradional female brown eyes.

Sue Wieber Nourse with Adorable Box Turtle Couple

The adorable couple was brought back to Turtle Journal headquarters to be examined, weighed, measured and photographed.  Because this female is such an important specimen, we wanted to be sure that we identified her correctly and we compared her photographic and data records. 

Eastern Box Turtle Couple

We were delighted to confirm our field observations.  Eastern Box #2 is indeed the mature female turtle that was rescued from the busy streets of urban New Bedford, and brought to Great Neck Sanctuary at the onset of brumation time in October to try to reset her sense of territoriality when she emerged this spring.  All signs point to at least initial success.

Adorable Couple Released Back in Great Neck Sanctuary

After processing at headquarters, the two Eastern box turtles were immediately returned to the spot where they were discovered within the Great Neck Sanctuary.  Turtle Journal, in partnership with Mass Audubon’s Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, will continue to monitor this sanctuary for box turtle activity to determine the population density in this area of Wareham and to check on Eastern Box Turtle #2, our rescued female.

Juvenile Snapping Turtle Surveys Wareham Golf Course

Yes; when you research turtles from ocean depths to mountain tops, you get used to surprises.  Still, some surprises are bigger than others.  On Thursday morning, in light clouds and showers, Turtle Journal drove by the Little Harbor Golf Course in Wareham.

Juvenile Snapper Strolls Down Fairway

We spotted a juvenile snapping turtle stomping down the fairway in focused determination as though searching for his drive off the tee.  As luck would have it, rain had chased away two- legged golfers; so, there was no argument about who might have right of way.  In any case, we suspect no one would dispute this lad’s intention to “play through.”

Two Snappers Yell “Fore!”

Don Lewis interrupted the young golfer for a bief interview about his playing skills.  Don especially wanted hints on the snapper’s technique on the greens.  They both decided to have a little fun by yelling “fore” on a deserted golf course.

Juvenile Snapper Close Up

Notice how Don shows total respect for this juvenile snapper’s powerful neck and jaws.  He holds the turtle, which weighs about five pounds, from the very back of his carapace.  You might also notice the powerful legs and thick, sharp claws.  Even from the protective grasp at the rear of the snapper, there’s no relief from those powerful limbs.  As a researcher, you simply accept the pain … because it feels so good when it stops.

Juvenile Snapper Takes Up Golf at Little Harbor Course 

After our discussion about the finer points of reptile golf and the travails of living a turtle’s life on a country club, the snapper chose to continue his round … before showers ended and humans once again laid claim to the fairway.

“Let’s Talk Handicap … Yours, Not Mine”

One interesting point of dispute arose when Don asked the snapper about his handicap.  For some reason this cold-blooded duffer deemed the topic a bit too sensitive and threatened to give Don the kind of handicap that would transcend golf.  Don tucked away this final lesson as another in a long list of reasons why he has never taken up the game.

Snapper Plays Through at Little Harbor Golf Course

Speaking of warnings and a word to the wise, considering the direction of the snapper’s travel, we’d like to caution golfers, caddies and grounds keepers who may think that salvaging golf balls from water hazards might be a smart business proposition.  Lurking underneath the water may be a hazard that looks an awful lot like this juvie … only perhaps ten times larger.  How much is the bounty on a salvaged golf ball?

Don Lewis, The Turtle Guy — Click on Image for Full Story

By Frank Mulligan, Wicked Local Wareham (Wareham Courier)

FMulligan@wickedlocal.com

Read more: Talking turtles at the Wareham Free Library – Wareham, MA – Wicked Local Wareham http://www.wickedlocal.com/wareham/features/x255392140/Talking-turtles-at-the-Wareham-Free-Library#ixzz1ur9EvC1P