It’s turtle hatchling emergence time in Massachusetts, as this recent article in The Boston Globe pointed out! And right on cue, this week I came across two tiny hatchling turtles running the gauntlet across the bike path in Boston’s Emerald Necklace to get to the water. Both turtles are native species to Massachusetts: the Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) and the Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina).
They were on the bike path when first spotted. I stood back and guarded the snapper to prevent people from accidentally stepping or biking over it. It made good progress towards the grass and was well on its way to the water after 5 or so minutes.
The painted turtle was a little more lethargic and wasn’t moving when spotted. I waited a few minutes for it to move, but when it didn’t, I decided to carefully move it off the path into the grass a few feet away. After a few minutes of recovering, it perked up and started its way towards the water.
Keep your eyes open for hatchling turtles on roads and walking paths this time of year! If you spot one, the best thing to do is to leave it alone. If it looks like it might get crushed (like the ones on the path that I found), you can carefully move them to grassy or vegetated areas or next to the water to help them on their way.
These species hold a special place in my heart since they were the first urban animals I worked with!
Do you have a photo or video of an urban species doing something unusual? What about a rare plant or animal that you were surprised to find in a city? If so, let Lindsay know or Tweet at us and you could be featured as a future observation of the week!
- New Lit Alert: Urban environment determines population genetics in the green toad, Bufotes viridis - September 11, 2023
- Contribute to the New York Canid Project! - July 21, 2023
- Parallel Urban Adaptation from Phenotype to Genotype in Anolis Lizards - January 19, 2023
Leave a Reply