Terrapins Have Successful Nesting Season on Outer Cape

Coutesy of Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary: 2017 was a prolific nesting season for Wellfleet Bay’s diamondback terrapins.

WELLFLEET – Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is calling this year’s terrapin season a success.

With the help of more than 100 volunteers, 385 terrapin nests were protected in Wellfleet, Eastham and Orleans – more than any other year.

The organization also released over 4,500 hatchlings so far.

The number of nests protected since 2002 has consistently increased and researchers say several factors have helped contribute to the success.

They have honed in on where the nests are laid and have expanded monitoring areas.

There are also fewer predators, mostly foxes, digging up nests and eating eggs before researchers find them.

And the number of sexually mature females has increased due to the conservation efforts, which will have the most positive long-term impact on the population into the future.

Researchers still have more to learn about the species as the season lasted longer this year than usual.

In the previous two years females began nesting on June 15, but this year the last nest was found on July 31, two weeks later than the last nest in 2016.