Turtle Journal

Oozy Low Tide Drained Marsh Channel on Indian Neck

This morning’s low tide offered a chance to sweep the Land of Ooze for potentially lethal debris.  As we slogged through the Indian Neck creeks, we found two dead five-year-old females within a few feet of each other south of Fox Island.

Two Nearly Identical Dead Five-Year-Old Terrapins

One of these “twins” measured 8.7 cm, the second 8.65 cm carapace length.

Location of Three More Dead Terrapins in Fox Island WMA

Three more dead terrapins were discovered in marsh channels north of Field Point, bringing the total to 20 dead terrapins in the Fox Island Wildlife Management Area the last two weeks.

Dead Male Last Seen Healthy and Vibrant on 30 September

One, a six-year-old male of 11.85 cm length, had last been observed on 30 September swimming through Blackfish Creek.  He had apparently experienced such a good season that the researcher noted, “Chunky . . . hardly fits into shell with summer fat.”

Dead 10-Year-Old Female Last Seen Heatlhy on June 3rd

Another, a 10-year-old female of 17.9 cm, was last seen on 3 June as she, too, swam through Blackfish Creek in seemingly perfect condition.

Bob Prescott Examines “Ghost” Netting Seining Tidal Flow

A little way further upstream, the main discharge channel on Field Point was blocked by netting, seining the tidal ebb and flow from the entire marsh area south of Wise Hill.  While this blockage appeared the most serious threat, we also pulled scattered pieces of debris from throughout the Fox Island Wildlife Management Area marsh system.  Still, the amount of material found this year falls far short of the last spring’s haul.  Our hope is that we are gradually recovering this habitat from years of neglect and as we persevere, the terrapin death total in the marsh will decline as well.

The box turtle hatchling dubbed Flower, found wandering disoriented yesterday in South Wellfleet, spent a restful night in the garage lab at 17°C.  This morning she moved into a jury-rigged terrarium with a southerly exposure.

Flower, the Eastern Box Turtle Hatchling

No sooner had she moved in than Flower explored her way into one of the water holes.  After soaking for about a half hour, she clawed out of this bath and lumbered over to the second watering spot.  She floated for several minutes and resumed exploring her new home.  Now that she has rehydrated, Flower has blossomed into a much more alert and active turtle.

Late Season Eastern Box Turtle Hatchling

Unusual surprises continue at the end of the universe.  This afternoon as another storm front edged its way over the Cape, a box turtle hatchling was discovered on the shoulder by Fresh Brook in South Wellfleet.  With a straight line carapace length of 3.3 and width of 2.8 centimeters, this young critter weighed in at 6 grams, still sporting a prickly sharp egg tooth.

Bit Cold-Stunned and Dehydrated

A bit lethargic and possibly dehydrated, it’s resting quietly overnight in 17°C room temperature.

Dead Five-Year-Old Male in Fox Island WMA

Ninety minutes later and a couple of miles to the northwest, another diamondback terrapin carcass was discovered in the marsh grass south of Fox Island.  Exposed by a 12.2-foot flood tide, this 5-year-old male measured 9.25 centimeters carapace length with a 7.8 centimeter plastron.

9.25 cm Carapace and 7.8 cm Plastron Length

His carapace was exquisitely sculpted and bore no signs of scratching or predation.  The plastron showed an anomalous discoloration of the humeral and gular scutes, suggesting that this turtle may have been buried for some time with only this portion of the shell exposed to the elements.  This terrapin is the 15th found dead in the Fox Island Wildlife Management Area since 3 November.

With a storm front plowing across the bay, winds are forecast to blow at sustained speeds of 25 to 30 mph from the northwest tonight and tomorrow.  While temperatures are still moderate, around 50 degrees, wind and surf may drive in some cold-stunned sea turtles over the next 24 hours.  We’ll probably hit the beaches after tomorrow’s 13:30 hours, 12-foot high tide, and again at first light on Thursday.

Tiny Kemp’s Ridley Strands in East Sandwich

This evening the fourth Kemp’s ridley sea turtle was found cold stunned in East Sandwich.  The small 1.2 kilogram juvenile was wedged in rocks, apparently driven ashore by a stormy northeasterly breeze.  Water temperatures in the area were recorded around 50°F.  Her tiny size more closely matches expectations for early sea turtle strandings.

Algae Cleared from Carapace with Flexible Card

After routine processing at the Sanctuary, algae encrustation was gently carded off her carapace.

Magnetometer and Digital PIT Tag Check

We checked her flippers for identifying wires and also checked her for PIT tags.  Neither was found.

Preliminary Examination at Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary

A careful examination showed scrapes on her carapace and some minor bleeding on her left marginals from the beating she took when tossed ashore on the rocks.  An unusual discoloration on the front of her right flipper was also noted.  All in all, though, she seemed quite lively and much more comfortable resting on soft towels in Wellfleet Bay’s recovery room.

Late Hatchling #90

Hatchling 90, found blindly crawling down a dirt road on Lieutenant Island, is gradually become more active as she warms up.  Still not as active as a normal, healthy September hatchling, she began to move her eyes beneath closed lids this morning.  As she sun-bathed and swam in the warm wet tank today, she opened first her right eye and then her left one.

Hatchling 90 Begins to Open Eyes

While she doesn’t keep them open all the time, she is tracking movement with her eyes when they are open.

Ancient Female Terrapin #7 in Better Days

Terrapin 7 (shown below), a very mature female last seen swimming in Chipman’s Cove on 15 July 1999.  She was found dead today in the salt marsh wrack of Duck Creek behind the Mobil Station on Route 6.  In July she weighed 910 grams, measured 17.2 centimeters carapace length, and sported a very distinctive vee notch in her 7 marginal.  In 1985 she was spotted making a nesting on Lieutenant Island opposite Indian Neck’s Field Point.

Desiccated Remains of Terrapin #7

Her desiccated remains were discovered far back in the Duck Creek marshes, which feeds into the northeast corner of Chipman’s Cove.  All soft tissue had decomposed leaving only bones and a very dry shell.

Recently Emerged Terrapin Nest

On the bright side, the mutts and I stumbled onto a newly hatched nest on Lieutenant Island.  It was located on a small, sandy plateau between the high tide wrack and the bearberry hill behind the Landau cottage.  Most of the shells were on the surface near a slit in the ground.  Excavating this nest, which abutted Nest 81 laid by Terrapin 1028 on 10 July and hatched on 25 September, I found one non-viable egg, two hatchlings predated in their shells, and a few more shards from hatched and emerged turtles.  A total of 13 terrapins hatched from this nest.  The dogs and I had last patrolled this area in late October.