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NATURE NOTES: Fresh Water Turtles of Fishers Island

by Penni Sharp

On any sunny spring or summer day, anyone passing by one of Fishers Island’s freshwater ponds may catch a glimpse of turtles basking on an exposed rock or fallen tree. These turtles are most likely to be painted turtles (Chrysemys picta), probably the most common and conspicuous turtle on the island. They are often seen at the Madeline Avenue Pond and the Duck Pond. These turtles are also known as “sun turtles” for the time they spend resting in the sun. They can be seen basking from early spring into the fall. The painted turtle is a turtle of small to medium size and has a smooth carapace bordered with yellow and red markings. It can also be identified by its yellow neck stripes and the red and yellow stripes on its legs. The plastron (or belly portion of the shell) is yellow-orange.

Painted turtles thrive in muddy-bottomed still waters, avoiding fast-flowing streams and brackish water. They can tolerate a nitrogen-rich environment which results in dense blooms of algae and pond weeds, a source of food for the painted turtle. Painted turtles are omnivorous and in addition to algae and pondweeds, their diet includes fish, tadpoles, and a wide variety of invertebrates. Although aquatic, painted turtles are frequently found on land. Males tend to roam more often and widely than females which move primarily during the nesting season. Painted turtles may live to thirty years or more if not preyed upon by raccoons, foxes, or skunks. Their eggs, which can be deposited in gravelly soils, lawns, or fields, are also vulnerable to prey species.

Photo by Greg Schechter.

Close view of painted turtle (Chrysemys picta). Photo by Greg Schechter.

Photo by Justine Kibbe

Row of painted turtles sunning. Photo by Justine Kibbe.

Another common island turtle is the snapping turtle (Chelydras. serpentina), the largest freshwater turtle in the northeastern United States. There are many records of large snapping turtles being seen on Fishers Island, including a 40 pounder removed from a back porch by Ed Horning and his son. These turtles are easily recognized by their carapace which is bordered along the rear by saw-toothed plates. The fairly long plated tail is also distinctive. They have large heads, long necks and a sharp hooked beak. Snapping turtles tend to be aggressive, thus should be handled with care or not at all.

Snapping turtles are found in a variety of aquatic habitats, preferring permanent bodies of fresh water. They will also be found in brackish and occasionally salt water. On Fishers, they are common at Middle Farms, Barley Field, Mud Pond, and Treasure Pond. They are tolerant of pollution and disturbance and are known to concentrate toxins in their bodies without noticeable ill effects.

Photo by Justine Kibbe.

Snapping turtle (Chelydra s. serpentina) crossing road near Dwyer House. Photo by Justine Kibbe.

Photo by Dakota L.

Snapping turtle in repose. Photo by Dakota L.

Another omnivore, snapping turtles consume aquatic plants, fish, crayfish, and occasionally ducklings. Plants and non-game fish are the preferred diet. Their eggs and young are prey species for a wide range of predators. Adult snapping turtles have few natural enemies and are killed primarily by humans out of fear or due to the presumed attacks on waterfowl and game fish.

Other fresh water turtles reported to inhabit Fishers Island include the spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) and the stinkpot or musk turtle (Sernotherus odoratus). The records for the spotted turtle are scant and the last sighting was in the mid-1980s. The spotted turtle looks much like the painted turtle in that it is of small to medium size and has a smooth carapace. It is distinguished by the many yellow spots sprinkled on its black carapace. It also has a large orange blotch behind each eye. This turtle, sometimes referred to as the “polka dot” turtle, is a Species of Special Concern in New York State. It is probable that they are no longer extant on Fishers Island. Any sightings should be reported to the Museum.

Photo by John J. Mosesso, NB II.

Spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata). Photo by John J. Mosesso, NB II.

From “North American Herpetology,” Holbrook, 1842.

Spotted Turtle illustrations from “North American Herpetology,” Holbrook, 1842.

The stinkpot may persist on the island as one was caught and released from Middle Farms Pond in 1990. However they are secretive and nocturnal and thus would be seldom seen. This turtle has four musk-producing glands on the underside of the carapace edges and it emits a foul odor when disturbed. The turtle has a high-domed carapace and it resembles an algae covered small rock. The plastron is small, leaving the turtle’s underside largely unprotected. The musk turtle has a large head for its body size and there are barbels (spiny appendages) on the chin and throat. Their preferred habitat includes slow-moving, muddy-bottomed rivers and streams and shallow, weedy coves of lakes and ponds. The turtle is primarily carnivorous and feeds on snails, leeches, worms, small fish and tadpoles. Museum records indicate that this turtle has only been documented at Middle Farms Pond, first by H. Lee Ferguson, Jr. in the 1920s and later by Ed Horning. Again, the Museum would be interested in any future sightings of this elusive turtle species.

Photo by Sandy Richard.

Musk (or stinkpot) turtle (Sernotherus odoratus). Photo by Sandy Richard.

Photo by Trisha Shears.

Musk (or stinkpot) turtle in aquarium. Photo by Trisha Shears.

News from the Museum

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2017 Newsletter

  • Elizabeth McCance

    From the President

  • Land Trust Report 2016 – Spring 2017

  • Island History

  • Nature Notes: Birds, Plants & Fish of Fort H.G. Wright

  • Nature Notes: The Snakes of Fishers Island – Part II

  • Island History: Going to Isabel Beach, Anyone?

  • (Nearby) Island History: South Dumpling Island

  • Fowler Family Donates Rare Book to HLFM

    Nature Notes from the Museum

    • Nature Notes: The Snakes of Fishers Island – Part II

    • Nature Notes: Birds, Plants & Fish of Fort H.G. Wright

    • Snakes of Fishers Island

      The Snakes of Fishers Island – Part 1

    • Increasing and Decreasing Birds

      Increasing and Decreasing Birds

    • NATURE NOTES: Fresh Water Turtles of Fishers Island

    • Christmas fern

      Ferns of Fishers Island

    • Great Blue Heron

      Herons and Egrets

    • Piping Plover guarding its eggs

      The Piping Plover

    • Barred Owl (Strix varia)

      Owls of Fishers Island

    • Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia)

      The Wood Warblers: Sprightly ‘Butterflies’ of the Bird World

    • Spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)

      Vernal pools – habitats that support unique biological communities

      Museum Programs

      • Museum Nature Walk with Russ Cohen

      • Foraging Fishers Island: What’s Wild and Edible

      • James Prosek

      • The Naturalist’s Notebook

        Children's Programs

        • Under the Sea

        • Engineering by Nature

        • Don’t Burst My Bubble

        • Birds of Prey

          Photo Galleries

          • Water Filtration Plant
          • First Site of Post Office

          Contact the Museum

          • 631-788-7239
          • fimuseum@fishersisland.net

          Museum Hours

          Sunday, July 1st to Labor Day:

          Tues-Fri: 10 AM – 12:30 PM; 2 – 4 PM
          Sat: 10 AM – 12:30 PM
          Sun: 11 AM – 12 noon
          Mon: CLOSED

          Off season hours are by appointment, call 631-788-7239 or e-mail fimuseum@fishersisland.net

          (c) 2014 The Henry L. Ferguson Museum