Turtles are out and about in May and June.
It’s that time of year again – when drivers and outdoor enthusiasts alike are coming across turtles while the reptiles travel to and from their egg-laying habitats. Turtles will be the focus of an educational program for both children and adults, held on Saturday, May 25, at Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Hampden.
Turtle Day is a drop-in event where visitors can meet a live turtle, learn about turtle species in the state and their status, and take a natural history walk along the picturesque property.
The timing of the program in late May coincides with turtles’ “busy season.”
“May through June is when turtles are more visible, as they go to lay their eggs in sandy soil,” said Patti Steinman, education coordinator at Mass Audubon’s Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, which is hosting the program.
Throughout the three-hour program, there will be displays, turtle games, including “turtle Twister,” turtle observation and a turtle craft.
“We’ll be looking at pond critters that would live in the same environment as some of the turtles – some macro-invertibrates, dragonfly nymphs, damselfly nymphs and caddisfly larvae,” Steinman said. “We hope to have some tadpoles and frogs.”
A live box turtle will be available for an up-close look, and visitors can go on a nature walk.
“We’ll be going to the pond, doing what we call ponding, where they can take little nets and see what they can catch,” Steinman said. “We won’t catch turtles because all turtles in the wild can carry salmonella. People should be aware of that and shouldn’t be catching wild turtles.”
With ten species of native terrestrial and fresh-water aquatic turtles in Massachusetts, six of them are on the state list for endangered, threatened or species of special concern.
“The biggest threat is habitat destruction,” Steinman said. “Turtles require more than one habitat – sometimes when they’re young and when they’re older, and when they lay their eggs. When they’re using multiple habitats, habitat destruction is even more of a concern.”
Some of the turtles that may be seen at Laughing Brook are painted turtles, box turtles or spotted turtles. Other species found in Massachusetts are the wood turtle and the Blanding’s turtle. The Northern red-belly cooter, one of the more endangered turtle species in the state, is only found in Plymouth County.
Turtles, many of which can live over 100 years, have very strong homing instincts. People who come across a turtle near a roadway should leave it alone, or, if it’s imminent danger, they should bring it to the side of the road, facing the same direction it was headed.
“They know where they’re going,” Steinman said.
Turtles dig in sandy soil, using their sensitive claws to determine whether the soil has the proper nutrients to temporarily house its eggs. In some species, the temperature of the eggs can determine the sex of the turtles.
“We’ll talk about the differences between aquatic and terrestrial turtles,” Steinman said. “The box turtle has a shell comprised of a carapase (top shell) and the plastrom, or bottom shell, and they’re connected, so it’s not true that the turtles can walk out of their shell.”
Aquatic turtles have a smaller plastrom or bottom shell, because they’re adapted to aquatic life.
Turtle diet varies from vegetation to earthworms and insects. Turtles have a strong sense of smell and can be aged by counting the “rings” on their top shells, much like counting the rings on a tree.
Turtle Day, held at the Laughing Brook property on Main Street in Hampden, runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is free to all. It is suitable for children of all ages. For more information, email laughbrook@massaudubon.org or call 413-584-3009.