Current Status of the Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) on the Island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts

Elizabeth Olson^1,* and Luanne Johnson¹

¹BiodiversityWorks, 455 State Road PMB 179, Vineyard Haven MA, 02568. *Corresponding author.

Northeastern Naturalist, Volume 31, Special Issue 12: C45–C47

First published early online: 31 August 2024

Abstract
The last description of the abundance and distribution of Clemmys guttata (Spotted Turtle) on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, MA, was published in 1976 by James Lazell. From 2020 to 2022, we surveyed wetlands with historic records or verified sightings of Spotted Turtles. We captured and marked 24 individuals in 1362 trap nights (0.018 spotted turtles/trap night). We identified 3 Spotted Turtle populations with 5–13 individuals, but only 1 population exhibited a variety of age and size classes among captures. Lazell noted this turtle species was uncommon in the 1970s, and our surveys indicate they may be even less common today, as we found the species at only 2 of the 4 sites Lazell surveyed. Considerable development and habitat fragmentation have degraded the landscape surrounding wetlands across the island in the last 30 years and sea-level rise threatens 2 populations, putting this elusive turtle at risk of local extinction.

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