Northern Red Bellied Cooters are an endangered species and in the wild have about a 90% mortality rate in the first year of their lives. The head start program allows them to grow 3-4 times the size of a wild turtle in the same time period and therefore be less vulnerable to predators upon release in the spring. The National Marine Life Center has been participating in the program since 2006 and has successfully headstarted 68 hatchlings. A total of 128 hatchling were collected this year to be distributed among program partners.

Each of the tiny turtles was examined by our vet Dr. C. Rogers Williams and given a clean bill of health. They were then weighed, measured and photographed for our records. Each turtle has a unique pattern on it’s plastron (underside of the shell) which we will use to tell them apart. Using these patterns we will identify the turtles each week and take their weights and measurements to see how much they are growing and make sure they are on track for their May release date. The turtles must measure at least 85mm to be eligible for release. The have a long way to “grow”, but we are so happy to take on a new batch of Red Bellied Cooters here at the NMLC!

Brie's turtle, Hercules!

Prospective turtle owners need to know a number of things before purchasing a turtle in order to keep it happy and healthy, and to have the best experience with your pet.

Before we begin:

• NEVER take an animal from the wild to bring home as a pet.
  • Taking a wild turtle can be dangerous, as they can carry a number of parasites or diseases into your home.
  • If you take an animal from the wild – you are disrupting the ecosystem. We need wild turtles to stay in the wild to reproduce and make more turtles!
  • It can be difficult to determine if the animal you’re taking is an endangered or threatened species, and taking one of these animals from the wild is against the law!
• If you would like to have a pet freshwater turtle, go to your local pet store to get a captive-bred, healthy turtle, and leave wild turtles in the wild.
• If you ever are unable to continue caring for your pet, DO NOT RELEASE IT into the wild! Turtles that are released into areas where they are not part of the natural ecosystem cause severe issues in that ecosystem. They can bring new diseases, compete with native turtles, and can reproduce to unhealthily high numbers without natural predators.

The setup:
Turtles have specific equipment requirements to keep the water clean, warm, and allow for proper turtle development.

• Filter(s) – filters work to clean the water of any debris (pieces of food, feces, etc.)
• Heater – you need to do some research to know what the proper temperature requirements are for your turtle species, and get a heater that can keep your tank at those temperatures all the time.
• Haul out(s) – these are objects that your turtle can pull itself out on to bask (or warm up) or rest if it’s tired of swimming. They come in a number of styles, sizes, and prices. They can range from large rocks to a foam apparatus that floats on the water. Just make sure that it’s the proper size for your turtle and that it’s easily accessible.
• Lights AND access to sunlight if possible – turtles need special lights that give them both UVA and UVB rays because that’s how they get vitamin D for proper shell growth.
• Timers for the lights – your turtle needs a strict day and night schedule to ensure proper rest cycles. If you aren’t able to turn your turtle’s lights on and off at the same time every day, it would be wise to invest in a light timer to do it for you.

Maintenance and diet:

• Frequent water changes – remember that your turtle defecates in the same water it needs to drink from – so change the water weekly or more frequently to avoid getting your turtle sick.
• Be aware of salmonella risks – wash your hands thoroughly before and after you touch the turtle or any of the husbandry equipment.
• When you buy your turtle you need to ask what species it is, and what it eats in the wild. If a turtle is a vegetarian and you feed it a protein-based diet – you can make it very sick, or it may die. If your turtle is a carnivore and you feed it a diet high in vegetables – it will not be able to grow properly. Do some research on your pet before you bring it home!
  • Many pet stores will give you canned “turtle food” – a common brand is ReptoMin. These should not be the only thing you feed your turtle; they should be used as a supplement given along with a more natural diet.
    If you find out that your turtle is a vegetarian, be sure to feed it Romaine lettuce – not iceberg lettuce. Iceberg lettuce has few actual vitamins in it, and will cause your turtle not to develop properly.

Miscellaneous:

• Your turtle will shed its scutes (big scales on shell) periodically as it grows – so don’t be alarmed! If your turtle has other skin problems, or the shell does not look healthy, see a veterinarian.
• Take your turtle to the veterinarian to ensure it’s growing properly. Once a year or every other year is sufficient for a healthy animal – but if you have questions about your turtle’s needs, a licensed veterinarian with some reptile experience should be your first contact.

I can say from experience that owning a turtle is a great responsibility, but something that’s given me great joy and actually influenced my career path! Turtles can be very interesting, wonderful pets if you understand their needs and care for them properly.

We welcome anyone who is interested in this event to join us on this exciting day. Staff from NMLC will be there with a booth as part of the Turtle Festival celebrations. You will have an opportunity to meet biologists who have information about how you can help turtles in your neighborhood and how they track turtles using radio telemetry.

This is a great chance to get to see some of our state’s endangered turtles!

It will be held–rain or shine–Friday, May 27th from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the DFW’s Burrage Pond Wildlife Management Area, Hanson. Meet at Hawk’s Avenue entrance to the WMA in Hanson.

Thanks! Looking forward to seeing you there!

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JOIN US for an Open House celebrating turtles and other marine life!

Saturday, Feb. 19
10 am – 2 pm
120 Main Street, Buzzards Bay

Explore NMLC’s Marine Animal Discovery Center, make a marine animal valentine, enjoy arts and crafts and games and refreshments, tour our new marine animal hospital as we’re about to “turn on the water”. Visit Teanna the diamondback terrapin, Catch-22 the red-bellied cooter, and the eight red-bellied cooter hatchlings in “headstart”.

$5/person suggested donation, members FREE. Join as a member when you arrive and get in free! Your entrance and membership donations will help us “turn on the water” and care for the marine animals we all love.

All ages welcome.  For more information, call 508-743-9888.

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This fall, Lucky Field Organics has been donating heads of organic red leaf and romaine lettuce.  We are grateful to this local organic farm for their generous donation.  And, as you can see, the young turtles love it!

White fungal lesions on Catch-22's carapace.

“Catch-22″ is a Northern red-bellied cooter, an endangered species of fresh-water turtle native to Massachusetts.  NMLC is a partner with MassWildlife in their efforts to restore the species.  We admitted Catch in June because of white lesions on his carapace.  Through testing, we’ve identified the lesions as a fungal infection but three different diagnostic laboratories disagree as to the type of fungus.  So far, the infection hasn’t responded to treatment so we can’t release Catch back into the wild this year.  As we now will be keeping Catch over the winter, we’ve moved him to a larger tank.

Catch has outgrown his tank!

Many thanks to volunteers Wendy and Linda who worked hard to clean up and set up this new, donated tank!  Catch seems very pleased with his new digs.

To follow Catch’s progress, read the latest Rounds Notes by NMLC Veterinarian Dr. Rogers Williams.

Linda & Wendy set up Catch's new tank.

To donate to Catch’s recovery, click here.

When the cooters arrived here at NMLC we took their weights, lengths and pictures. Each cooter was also marked with Sharpie on their marginal scutes so we can continue to track each animals progress. Each one of them currently weighs between 8 grams and 10 grams (1 gram = 1 paper clip). Please enjoy the photos below of our new arrivals.

Northern Red-bellied Cooter hatchlings after being weighed, measured, photographed and marked for identification.

The Cooters hanging out in the new tank, their plastrons or undershell have different patterns unique to each cooter.

Check back on their progress! We will continue to post updates!

Occasionally, volunteers swabbed the terrapins' shells gently with a dilute veterinary cleansing solution to remove algal growth.

On June 14th our eight diamond-backed terrapin hatchlings are going home! These small turtles, listed as “threatened” by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, hatched too late in the season last year to survive the cold winter.  They’ve spent the past 7 1/2 months in a nice, warm environment at the National Marine Life Center.  Daily, volunteers fed the animals and cleaned their tanks.  Weekly, volunteers weighed and measured the animals.

Dr. Williams examines each terrapin with a veterinary scope.

With the warming of weather, we’ve been preparing the diamond-backs to return to the wild by introducing clams and quahogs to their diet and increasing the salinity of their habitats to match their natural salt marsh environment.  The last step was an exit exam.  NMLC Veterinarian Dr. Williams examined each animal’s eyes, limbs, and shell, took weights and measurements and a full set of identification photographs, and proclaimed the turtles fit for release!

Thank you to the many volunteers who assisted in caring for these young turtles.  Because of you, the animals have a second chance at survival.

The release is open to the public.

RELEASE DETAILS:
TIME:  Monday, June 14, 3:00 pm
LOCATION:  Meet at Great Island Parking Lot in Wellfleet, MA
DIRECTIONS: From Sagamore Bridge:
~ Cross Sagamore Bridge.  Head south on US-6E for approximately 36.1 miles.
~ At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto US-6E/Mid-Cape Hwy
~ Continue to follow US-6E for 11.7 miles
~ Turn left at School Street and continue onto Mill Hill Road for 0.3 miles
~ Turn left at Ryder Court for 0.2 miles
~ Continue onto Holbrook Avenue, and turn right at Chequessett Neck Road for 0.5 miles
~ Take a slight left to stay on Chequessett Neck Road for 1.9 miles
~ Park in Great Island Parking Lot

As part of a conservation effort led by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), the public is invited to join Mary Griffin, Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game, and MassWildlife staff biologists to help release 115 hatchling Northern Red-bellied Cooters in Middleborough. Originally known as the Plymouth Red-belly Turtle, the Northern Red-Bellied Cooters in Massachusetts are a disjunct population isolated from the next nearest known population located in New Jersey. These turtles are listed as endangered species at both the state and federal levels. They are the Bay State’s second largest freshwater turtle, second only to the snapping turtle.

When: Friday, May 28, 2010 10:30AM

Where: Long Point Road, between Pocksha and Great Quittacas Ponds, Middleborough (see below for directions)

The hatchlings were removed from the wild last fall and paired with partnering educational and scientific facilities from across the state as part of a program called “Headstarting.” Headstarting accelerates growth and reduces the likelihood of death during a turtle’s first year of life. As part of the program, cooperating partners raise the turtles in warm aquarium environments with unlimited food, allowing them to grow faster, and making them less vulnerable to predation when they are finally released. For a fact sheet about these turtles, go to: www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/species_info/nhfacts/pseudemys_rubriventris.pdf.

Representatives from the following organizations partnered with DFG on the headstarting project: Zoo New England, Museum of Science of Boston, New England Aquarium of Boston, Berkshire Museum of Pittsfield, Buttonwood Park Zoo of New Bedford, National Marine Life Center of Bourne, the South Shore Science Center of Norwell, and the Thornton Burgess Society of Sandwich. Students from the following schools and colleges also participated in headstarting cooters: Andover High School, Dighton Middle School, Eagle Hill School in Hardwick, Essex Agricultural High School in Middleton, Gloucester High School, Lasell College in Newton, Leominster High School, Minuteman Regional Vocational and Technical School in Lexington, Norfolk Agricultural High School in Walpole, North Quincy High School, Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, and Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical School in Easton.

Directions to the Release Site: From Rte 495 take Exit 4 for Rte 105 south. Follow 105 through Lakeville center and past Assawompsett Pond on left and stay straight when Rte. 18 turns to the right. Take left on Long Point Road and follow across causeway between Pocksha and Great Quittacas Ponds to meeting/release site.

Checking out the human.

Now, however, they seem to be coming out of their shells!  Each is exploring his or her environment.  Each seems to be feeling more comfortable in their temporary habitat, and several will often rest floating in the water column with legs outstretched.  Each is developing its distinct diamondback personality (or should I say turtleality?)!

Sleepy.

The tiny creatures are still wary of the enormous two-legged beasts that handle them daily to feed and clean the tank.  I can’t say that I blame them; after all, we weigh almost 20,000 times what they do!  (Please don’t do the math.)

Who's this in the mirror?

All in all, it’s fun to see the terrapin hatchlings coming out of their shells!

Just hangin' out.