This fellow was spotted near the Alford Brook at the end of April. He or she is a wood turtle, a species of special concern in Massachusetts. Once abundant, they are now quite rare due to habitat loss and most especially rotary mowers.
We also have painted turtles, spotted turtles, and most common, snapping turtles. This time of the year they are all abroad looking for places to lay eggs. Unfortunately, the warm gravel along roads is quite appealing to them!
If you see a turtle on the road, give them a lift across in the direction they were moving. (If it is a snapping turtle, best done with a long stick!) Do not move them to another location. They have their territories and don’t like change.