(Picture by Ann Bousquet)
(Picture by Ann Bousquet)
This turtle was spotted on Memorial Day weekend, 1999 near Spectacle Pond and the Nemco Way railroad crossing in Ayer. It was over 8 inches long and has been identified as a Blanding's Turtle. Blanding's Turtle is currently protected under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act and the Wetlands Protection Act. The siting was recorded with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife on June 8, 1999. In September, 1999 notification was received from them that this siting has been accepted and will be added to their database. An Estimated Habitat notation will appear in the next edition of the Natural Heritage Atlas (1999 - 2001 edition) and is on the habitat map sent to the Ayer town conservation commission.
June 2000 update: As of June 20, 2000, a total of 6 additional adult Blandings turtles have been spotted and photographed in the same general area as the turtle found in 1999. All have been (or soon will be) recorded with the Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Brian Butler [Oxbow Associates, Acton MA], an expert on Blanding's turtles and wetlands ecology, has visited this area and confirmed that it is an ideal nesting area for this rare and threatened species.
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Here is a letter sent on December 9, 1999 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to the Ayer Conservation Commission. It discusses the implications of the proposed Guilford Auto Unloading project near Willow Road (see Guilford Rail Project Committee) on a Blandings turtle habitat near the site in Ayer [letter1299.pdf (76K)] Enclosed in the letter was a statement of the Rare Species Policy [rare_species_policy.pdf (44K)] Also enclosed was a factsheet describing the Blandings turtle, its habitat, feeding and nesting habits, range, etc [blandings_factsheet.pdf (65K)]. and a poor quality map with notations of estimated Blandings turtle habitats in our general area. [habitat.jpg (356K)]. To help get oriented on this map, here's a section of it with Spectacle Pond located in blue. [turtle_habitat.jpg (63K)].
This letter was sent on September 17, 1999 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to the Spectacle Pond Association. It confirms receipt of the the observation form for the turtle submitted on June 8, 1999 and indicates that the siting has been accepted and added to their database. [letter999.pdf (30K)].
Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, An Agency of the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife & Environmantal Law Enforcement www.state.ma.us/dfwele
Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program MA Division of Fisheries & Wildlife form for reporting a siting of a rare species: http://www.heritage.tnc.org/nhp/us/ma/anml_obs.txt or look at this page if you want to see other forms, etc. for rare species and associated documentation. http://ocelot.tnc.org/nhp/us/ma/ftplist.htm
Link to Nova Scotia Blanding's turtle website http://nature.ednet.ns.ca/nature/turtles/bland.htm
Brian Butler article on Blanding's Turtle http://www.nytts.org/proceedings/butler.htm
![[habitat.jpg (356K)].](./pix/habitat.jpg){kind=link}
![[turtle_habitat.jpg (63K)].](./pix/turtle_habitat.jpg){kind=link}