Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata)

The spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) occurs in emergent marshes, shrub swamps, and temporary wetlands from Maine to Florida and is of conservation concern throughout the northeastern United States and is considered “Endangered” by the IUCN. In partnership with other researchers and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, we maintain three long-term spotted turtle observatories in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts. Two of these populations were first studied by Joan Milam in 1993–1995. At a broader scale, we are partnering with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, UMass Amherst, MassWildlife, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Orianne Society, and Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to develop and test regional monitoring protocols and to lay the groundwork for conservation planning. We've begun gathering spotted turtle occurrences for species distribution models (SDMs) from partners on regional wood, Blanding's, and box turtle conservation efforts.