Saving rare turtles in Marion, Mattapoisett, USA
In late May and early June at a private salt marsh in Mattapoisett, rare turtles called the diamondback terrapins will poke their heads out of the mud to emerge after a long winter hibernation. The turtle, named for the diamond pattern at the top of its shell, is no bigger than 7.5 inches long.
After hibernation ends, female diamondback terrapins leave their muddy bed in Marion and Mattapoisett to lay eggs on nearby sandy beaches. Three to four months later, the eggs hatch.
Krill Carson, a whale wildlife biologist for the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NEWCA), said that the turtles are greatly affected by coastal erosion, rising sea levels and development and struggling to find safe nesting grounds. The species, endangered in Rhode Island and threatened in Massachusetts, were believed extinct in Marion and Mattapoisett until 2003.
Because they cannot reach their natural habitat, these turtles try to nest in the backyards in both Marion and Mattapoisett, a far cry from their original targets.
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Photo from Katherine Glosser.
