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Here at the Land Between Charity, a.k.a. Turtle Guardians head quarters, we have welcomed our first baby turtles, “hatchlings”!! The first babies to hatch in our incubator were three Painted Turtle on August 7^th. Since then we have welcomed some more Painted Turtles, many Snapping Turtles and some precious Blanding’s Turtles. Here are some photos of our hatchlings:

Where did all these eggs come from? Earlier this year in June, the Land Between / Turtle Guardians staff were very busy patrolling the roads of Haliburton Country and Peterborough for nesting turtles. When we were lucky enough to find nests far off the road and road shoulder, we could install wire nest protector cages to keep them safe from hungry predators like skunks and racoons. However, most of the nests we found were laid close to the road and road shoulder, and in these cases we carefully dug up the eggs to incubate them over the summer and release them after hatching. When nests are too close to the road, nest protector cages can’t be used because a vehicle could drive over it and get damaged.

We were very lucky to get special training and then permission from OMNR and OMECP to carry out our nest excavations and egg incubation this summer. It is illegal to dig up turtle eggs of any species in Ontario without a government issued permit.

Our staff went through special training from our partners at Scales Nature Park for how to safely dig up eggs, transport them, and care for them during incubation and after hatching. In total we had 960 eggs in our incubator this summer and another 100 Blanding’s Turtle eggs that we excavated were incubated by our partners at Scales Nature Park.

When a turtle first starts to break out of its shell, we say that it is “pipping.” The baby will use its egg tooth to repeatedly peck the egg, and often the first body part to emerge or be visible will be the babies head. So far, we have noticed that this process can take up to 2 days before the hatchling completely emerges from its shell! When they first emerge from the shell they will have their yolk sacs still very visible on their plastrons (belly shell). You can think of their yolk sac sort of like their belly button. This is the place where the growing turtle embryo was attached to the shell when it was still in its egg. We give all our turtle babies the chance to absorb their yolk sacs before releasing them back to the wild. This gives them the chance to gain the nutrients from its yolk, and will make it easier for them to swim and travel when released back into nature.

Hatchlings are always released back in the area where we originally found their nest. We look for the closest shallow water body or wetland with lots of aquatic vegetation and slow or no water flow as the babies are not yet strong swimmers. We will space out the babies so they are not all in one spot and easy for a predator to come and gobble up.

What should you do if you find a hatchling?

Hatchlings from wild nests typically emerge at the end of August and all throughout September – so we could start to see them anytime. If you are lucky enough to find a hatchling you should bring it to the nearest wetland or shallow waterbody. In the case of hatchlings, the rule that applies to other turtles of always moving them in the direction they were travelling does not apply. This is because they have not yet created their mental maps and do not know where they are going. However, to keep populations healthy, and because it is likely that hatchlings have a mental imprint of their nesting site, they should be kept in nature and within 200 metres of where they are found. To give a hatchling its best chance it isn’t enough to simply move them off the road. They are so vulnerable to predation at their small size and can get dehydrated really easily, especially on pavement in the heat of the day. So, it is critical that they are moved to the nearest shallow water amongst lots of aquatic vegetation where they can easily hide and find things to eat. In no way should a hatchling be taken home as a pet as this is illegal, and also taking them out of nature for long periods or away from their native territory may result in difficulty of surviving in nature when reintroduced. Also take pictures and locational information and let us know to help us track populations. But be careful of sharing locations with the public at large because hatchling poaching is on the rise in Ontario. Each turtle and each hatchling in nature gives us hope for the future. Turtles have irreplaceable roles in maintaining biodiversity and all the flora and fauna found in our lakes and wetlands. Be turtley cool and save turtles.

 

 

We are so grateful to our amazingly talented staff, Stacey Kinder, for her time in creating a masterpiece of a mural to promote turtle conservation. The mural is on the side of the Baked and Battered cafe and eatery in Haliburton Village. The  mural is of Jeremiah, our female +70 year old skateboarding turtle who was brought to us by the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (home of the Trauma Centre) after she healed from her injuries: Jeremiah was "straddled" by a car - the vehicle driver thought she would be okay if they passed over her with their wheels on either side). But this wasn't the case. First of all, she was too tall and/or the car carriage was too log and Jeremiah's carapace (top-shell) was crushed, leaving her somewhat crippled from the damage and unable to use her back legs. And then she must have been so scared that she tried to snap- and so Jeremiah lost a chunk of her beak so that she would not be able to find food or defend herself in the wild. Every second day we put Jeremiah on her skateboard to give her practice using her legs and to promote muscle-memory- because after four years in physiotherapy she has begun moving those back legs again! Turtles are amazing because they can regrow nerve tissue. It may take many years still before she could possibly walk again. Now Jeremiah is commemorated through Stacey's amazing artwork.

Stacey Kinder is an artist and an ecologist! She has captured the image of Jeremiah in her mural- but the mural is more than simply the image of "Jer": inspired perhaps by the Aanishinabeg Creation story where North America is on a turtle's back, or perhaps too by the fact that turtles help clean water and also spread aquatic seeds so that wetlands and fish nurseries that support so much wildlife will thrive, Jeremiah has an ecosystem of native plants growing on her back.

Stacey spent the summer with us running the roads in search of turtles, to take DNA samples, measurement and help them across safely. She also excavated nests that were in danger of road mortality or predation. This was done under our Wildlife Permit. Stacey has a passion for nature and is able to communicate her heart-felt passion through art, to inspire others! Thank you Stacey for all you do for turtles and nature! And Thank you Jeremiah for sharing your life with us and leaving your mark on our hearts.

They are hatching! The 2000 eggs at our Headquarters are moving around...the little turtles are emerging and they are irresistible. Make someone's day happy and bring them for a turtle tour! 

Do you want to meet some baby turtles? Watch the little ones emerge! Be introduced to our amazing ambassador turtles too - including Jeremiah the skateboarding snapper!? We are offering tours to groups of two for a minimum $40 donation and by appointment only at our Turtle Guardian Headquarters- Your tour donations will help us build two specialized turtle tunnels🐢🐢🐢🚇 (designed fencing to direct turtles through existing culverts under roads instead of on roads where they are hurt or killed). We are extending this rare offer and opportunity for a very limited time-for about the next two to three weeks until tiny turtle time runs out and the hatchlings are ready to be placed safely back in nature near their native

nest locations! Call us at 705-457-1222 to book your turtley amazing experience.

Written by Sydney Shepherd

I was not a turtle person… no, seriously. Prior to my involvement this summer with the Land Between and Turtle Guardians, my friends and family referred to me as the “Bird Girl”. Everything and anything I did revolved around birds. School projects, volunteering and spare time were all dedicated to birds – oh, and not to mention how often I wiggled fun facts and bird ID into my everyday conversations.

Becoming a bird person was easy.

Bird songs have been the soundtrack to my summers. Listening to bird songs now, I am connected to previous time and place. The elusive namesake sound of Eastern Whip-poor-wills and the unmistakable “who-cooks-for-you” hoot of the Barred Owl bring me back to starry nights camping on Georgian Bay. The abrupt morning squabble of Blue Jays never fails to connect me to groggy-eyed wake-ups in a sweaty nylon tent. This intrinsic connection to birds took over once I reached University and was able to pursue my own passions in academia.

But becoming a turtle person, was hard.

I do not have any childhood stories of turtles to share. I honestly cannot even remember a time that I might have interacted with a turtle in the wild until my later years. Without past connection with turtles, I simply brushed off their importance.

I am so grateful I was welcomed to the Road Research Team with Turtle Guardians. As a recent University Grad, I was ready to get out into the world and experience new things, even if those things were outside of my “bird niche”. Within the first few minutes of my first Road Research shift, I finally gained my turtle connection. Xavier, my team mate for the summer, and I came across a couple who were helping a turtle safely cross at a busy four-way intersection. As we approached the couple, thanking them for being a Turtle Hero, and taking the turtle from them to collect valuable scientific data (https://www.thelandbetween.ca/2020/06/tlb-gathers-2000-turtle-eggs-to-incubate/), I was able to see a Blanding’s Turtle up close. Her bright yellow throat, and almost upturned mouth made me feel the same way I do when I look at Golden Retriever Puppies. I then thought about how vulnerable that turtle was, crossing a four-way intersection with loud and large vehicles passing by. I knew, in that moment, I was becoming a turtle person.

The term “charismatic” can be used to sum up the connection experience (Skibins et al. 2013). Individuals are more likely to care about the conservation of species when we can empathize with their emotions (Skibins et al. 2013). Often, these “charismatic” species we empathize with are large mammals such as the Giant Panda, African Elephants and colourful birds (Skibins et al. 2013). In my experience, freshwater turtles have never been at the forefront of my mind as a charismatic species, but, the moment that Blanding’s Turtle was crossing that four-way intersection, I empathized with her. She became charismatic in my mind, and I hope that everyone has their connection moment with an Ontario Turtle!

If you are interested in connecting your family to turtles check out the Turtle Guardians Program Levels and become Wetland Watchers today!

 

References:

Skibins, Jeffrey C., et al. “Charisma and Conservation: Charismatic Megafauna’s Influence on Safari and Zoo Tourists’ pro-Conservation Behaviors.” Biodiversity and Conservation, vol. 22, no. 4, 2013, pp. 959–982., doi:10.1007/s10531-013-0462-z.

 

 

If you are familiar with turtles and practiced in the art of helping them across roads, you are probably aware that turtle conservation groups and experts urge rescuers to move turtles across the road in the direction they are facing when found. Why is this? When you find a turtle crossing a road coming from a lush wetland, heading towards a dry rocky outcrop, doesn’t it make the most sense to turn it around and place it back in the wetland? Even though your natural instincts might tell you to turn a travelling turtle around and put them in a more

“turtle-friendly” habitat, this will actually result in the turtle having to cross the road again when they inevitably turn around to head back the way they were going. To understand why turtles will turn back around if you take them off course, you need to know how turtles navigate.

Turtles are excellent navigators within the areas they are familiar with, ie. their “home ranges.” These home ranges include their yearly nesting site (if female), their overwintering grounds, and the wetlands they frequent during their active season. In the early years of their lives turtles will create ‘mental maps’ of their home areas, and it appears that as turtles age they lose this ability to create new mental maps (Caldwell and Nams 2006). Adult turtles tend to rely on their internal compass to navigate through their home range that they know well, and have previously ‘mapped’ (Caldwell and Nams 2006).

There is scientific research that suggests a turtle’s internal compass could be one of two things, or possibly even a combination of both. Turtles could be using the position of the sun in the sky to navigate, or possibly they are able to sense the earth’s magnetic fields; both of these methods would help them know where north is. Scientists have confirmed some Sea Turtle species have magnetite in their brains which allows the animals to sense magnetic fields (Fuentes, et al. 2004). In the case of Ontario freshwater turtle species such as Blanding’s Turtles and Snapping Turtles, researchers have found evidence for both the sun and the magnetic field compass mechanisms (Pappas et al. 2013, Landler et al. 2015, Krentz et al. 2018). More research is needed to determine if both methods are being used by freshwater turtles here, or if some species are using only one.

So what do turtles’ mental maps and internal compasses have to do with always making sure to help them across roads in the direction they are facing? Well, everything! Because turtles are such good navigators, when you find them crossing a road, they are heading some where specific – don’t think for a second they are just wandering or confused!! They know where they are going – even if they are heading somewhere that seems to you like poor turtle habitat.

Ontario turtles are capable of long distance travel over land, and some individuals have very large home ranges with nesting sites far from the wetlands they use during the summer months, which can be separate and further still from the wetland they might use for their overwintering (Pettit et al. 1995, Brown and Brooks 2004). For example, Snapping Turtles in Algonquin Park have been found to travel up to 3.9 km between August and late September when they head back to their overwintering grounds, and can return within 1 m of the exact spot they hibernated the year before (Brown and Brooks 2004). What amazing proof of these superb navigators in action! This helps put into perspective the turtle you might find heading into a forest away from a perfectly good wetland – this turtle could be travelling to another wetland you can’t see via this forest, or potentially their nesting site is a sandy bank along a small creek on the other side of the forest. Who knows? We don’t, but the turtle definitely does.

An important implication of turtles making mental maps of their home ranges when they are young and using their using internal compasses to navigate after this, is that if an adult turtle is relocated far outside their home range it can be very disorienting and stressful. A study done in Nova Scotia with Eastern Painted Turtles (which are closely related to the subspecies of Painted we find here in Ontario - Midland and Western), found that 60 adult turtles removed from their home ranges did not successfully navigate towards water when released in new habitat (Caldwell and Nams 2006). Instead, they travelled in a straight line in one consistent direction after being released until being recaptured at the end of the 24-hour study period. This suggests that when adult freshwater turtles are relocated to a new habitat outside of their home range, they may not be able to imprint on this new area as they did when they were younger with their home range. The adult turtles in this study seemed to follow an internal compass, but without a mental map of the unfamiliar area, they just travelled in one single direction without any way to navigate towards water.

The only exception to the rule of always helping a turtle across the road in the direction they are travelling, is if you are lucky enough to find a hatchling (a.k.a. brand new baby turtle). Ontario turtle hatchlings are usually no bigger than a toonie, and when they first emerge from their nests they will not have a mental map of their surroundings, although their internal compass mechanisms will activate within hours of emerging from the nest (Pappas et al. 2013). Their instincts will guide them to head towards an open horizon, which will hopefully lead them to water (Krenz et al. 2018). So in this one special case, if you find a hatchling on a road or road shoulder, because they do not have a mental map of their surroundings yet, the best spot to move them is actually the closest shallow water body. This water body should ideally have slow moving water (or no flow at all) and lots of aquatic vegetation where they can hide from predators and find things to eat. This could be a flooded road ditch, a small pond, or a grassy bank of a near by marsh. It is important to note that we still don’t want to relocate a hatchling far from where we found it, do not move a hatchling more than 250 m. If you can not see any water within this distance from where you found it, move the hatchling safely far off the road and road shoulder in the direction they were travelling. It is even more important to note that we don’t want you to take the hatchling home. Without the first years spent in nature, the mental map will not be made and the turtle will be lost for all time to navigating the wild. Meanwhile, we are losing too many turtles to road traffic, pet trades, and habitat loss. So, watch out for hatchlings (and adults too) at the end of August and through September (for Snappers and Blanding’s) and when many Painted Turtle hatchlings emerge at the end of May / beginning of June.

 

Written by Meredith Karcz, Conservation Technician

Download this article: turtles know where they are going. M. Karcz

 

 

References

Brown, G.P., and R.J. Brooks. 1994. Characteristics of and fidelity to hibernacula in a northern population of Snapping Turtles, Chelydra serpentina. Copeia 1994(1): 222-226.

Caldwell, I. R., & Nams, V. O. (2006). A compass without a map: tortuosity and orientation of eastern painted turtles (Chrysemys picta picta) released in unfamiliar territory. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 84(8), 1129-1137.

Fuentes, A., Urrutia-Fucugauchi, J., Garduño, V., Sanchez, J., & Rizzi, A. (2004). Magnetite in Black Sea Turtles (Chelonia agassizi). AGUFM, 2004, B21B-0884.

Krenz, J. D., Congdon, J. D., Schlenner, M. A., Pappas, M. J., & Brecke, B. J. (2018). Use of sun compass orientation during natal dispersal in Blanding’s turtles: in situ field experiments with clock-shifting and disruption of magnetoreception. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 72(11), 177.

Landler, L., Painter, M. S., Youmans, P. W., Hopkins, W. A., & Phillips, J. B. (2015). Spontaneous magnetic alignment by yearling snapping turtles: rapid association of radio frequency dependent pattern of magnetic input with novel surroundings. PLoS One, 10(5), e0124728.

Pappas, M. J., Congdon, J. D., Brecke, B. J., & Freedberg, S. (2013). Orientation of freshwater hatchling Blanding's (Emydoidea blandingii) and snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) dispersing from experimental nests in agricultural fields. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 8(2), 385-399.

Pettit, K.E., C.A. Bishop, and R.J. Brooks. 1995. Home range and movements of the common Snapping Turtle, Chelydra serpentina serpentina, in a coastal wetland of Hamilton Harbour, Lake Ontario, Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 109(2): 192- 200.

Its mid June in the Land Between. The evening temperature is pleasant, and I might even say I was comfortable sitting in this lawn chair on the side of the highway, if it weren’t for the bugs! Black-flies and mosquitoes swarm my head and unprotected arms. I pull on my trusty bug jacket and settle back into my seat. I’m watching a show that many people have not had the pleasure of seeing; a Blanding’s Turtle is laying her nest. I’m watching her from the other side of the road through my binoculars, ensuring her safety. This is a vulnerable time for her and I am protecting her from oncoming cars. A study in Southern Ontario showed that approximately 2.7% of cars will intentionally aim for reptiles on the road (Ashley et al. 2007). I won’t let that happen to this momma! She rocks slowly back and forth as she works to dig a hole. She has been working for about an hour now. I wonder if she’ll start laying before its dark! Like many other turtles, this mother is very methodical when it comes to nesting.

A gravid (pregnant) turtle will travel as much as 7.5 kilometres to find the perfect spot to lay their eggs, and many will return to the same place year after year (others will travel within 2km of this site over the years) (Congdon et al. 2008). Some Blanding’s Turtles nest as far as 1 kilometre from the nearest water (Congdon et al. 2008). This turtle has chosen to nest in front of a small marsh, but that marsh that sits behind her may not be where she resides the rest of the year.  I wonder how far this lady has traveled today. The traffic on the highway zooms past me. How many roads did she have to cross to get here safely?

I check on the turtle through my binoculars again. Blanding’s Turtles can take up to 2.5 hours to complete the nesting process. To my excitement, there is a change in behaviour! She has finished digging. Her neck slowly extends out, showing off a beautiful yellow colour. Then she tucks her head in. This tells me that she is finally laying eggs! After each egg, she rocks sideways, catching the egg with one leg and placing it carefully into the nest. She will repeat this process, laying on average 10-15 eggs (Ernst et al. 1994).

I am working as part of crew in The Land Between, which, under a special wildlife permit, will research turtles (all of which are disappearing in Ontario), and which will also help give next generations a boost by incubating eggs.

It is nearly dark now, as I watch her lay her eggs. I wait for her to finish, adrenaline building because the next part is the most fun! As she reaches the end of laying, I start to move. I creep through the bushes behind her on my hands and knees. I slowly move up behind her so that I can see her hind legs. I ensure she cannot see me, as the last thing I want to do is spook her off the nest. I have purposefully been watching through my binoculars from a distance up to this point. I watch as she lays her final egg and begins to bury her nest. Before she can, I pick her up, and hand her to my partner who is ready with equipment to take her morphometrics. He will weigh her and take some measurements of her shell. Meanwhile, I get back to the nest. Since I didn’t let her bury her eggs it makes my job much easier. Blanding’s Turtles are very good at camouflaging their nests. I carefully excavate the nest. These eggs will be transported to an incubator where they will be safe from predators such as raccoons and foxes that love to eat them (Harding 1997). They will also be safe from heavy machinery such as graders, as well as environmental damage such as temperature fluctuations and flooding (Riley et al., unpublished data, Edge unpublished data).

We will return the hatchlings to this area when they emerge in 56-133 days (Gillingwater and Brooks 2001). This will protect them from the road where hatchlings are at higher risk for mortality after emerging from roadside nests (Gillingwater 2013). This mother’s legacy will hopefully live on, and all her travelling and hard work will not have been in vain. While we are helping by ensuring that not as many nests are lost and more hatchlings emerge, the recruitment rate (the replacement rate) for adult turtles is still extremely low because only a small fraction (less than 1%) of the hatchlings will survive the masses of predators and find the right conditions to reach adulthood.

We release the tired turtle and watch her saunter into the ditch, and out of sight. I think to myself how lucky I am to have such a rewarding job, bug bites and all!

 

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer nest sitter, please visit the volunteer pages of our website for more information.

 

Submitted by Grace Wiley, Conservation Technician

 

 

 

Literature Cited

Ashley, E.P., and J.T. Robinson. 1996. Road mortality of amphibians, reptiles and other wildlife on the Long Point Causeway, Lake Erie, Ontario. Canadian Field Naturalist 110:403-412.

Congdon, J.D., T.E. Graham, T.B. Herman, J.W. Lang, M.J. Pappas, and B.J. Brecke. 2008. Emydoidea blandingii (Holbrook 1838) Blanding’s turtle. In: Rhodin, A.G.J., P.C.H. Pritchard, P.P van Dijk, R.A. Saumure, K.A. Buhlmann, and J.B. Iverson. (Eds.). Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs No. 5, pp. 015.1-015.12.

Edge, C.B. Unpublished data.

Ernst, C.H., R.W. Barbour, and J.E. Lovich. 1994. Turtles of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C.

Gillingwater, S.D. 2013. Unpublished report submitted to Canadian Wildlife Service. 48 pp.

Gillingwater, S.D., and R.J. Brooks. 2001. A selective herpetofaunal survey, inventory and biological research study of Rondeau Provincial Park. Report to the International Fund for Animal Welfare and Endangered Species Recovery Fund (World Wildlife Fund).

Riley, J., M. Keevil, P. Moldowan and J. Litzgus. Unpublished data.

Harding, J.H. 1997. Amphibians and reptiles of the Great Lakes Region. The University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. 378 pp.

 

 

Turtles are declining in Ontario. This will have a detrimental impact on a lot of fish and wildlife species. Turtles spread aquatic seeds and remove dead matter from lakes and wetlands. They also cycle nutrients. Without these slow friends in our lakes, we would lose vital fish habitat and wetlands would suffer. This would then impact many species all the way from dragonflies, to frogs, and even moose! The main threats to turtles include road traffic, habitat loss (removal of vegetation at the shore and wetlands), deliberate kills of snapping turtles  from people who mistakenly think them harmful, and where humans live, there is little to no recruitment (eggs that survive and make it to adulthood). In settled areas nest predation is more than 80%. This is because meso-predators (middle-sized mammals) such as foxes, raccoons, and skunks feel “more comfortable” and are “more successful” occupying these areas. These middle-sized mammals make a feast of turtle eggs.

To help turtles thrive, The Land Between staff and volunteers, under the charity’s Turtle Guardians program, are conducting research on turtles on roads (taking blood samples, tracking where they are crossing etc.) and are digging up nests that are close to high risk areas such as roads, and which cannot be protected with specialized caging or other appropriate materials. Then these eggs are incubated at the Headquarters in Haliburton, for release in the fall. These activities are done under a special wildlife permit. The public cannot legally dig up nests, but also they should not dig up nests: Eggs are extremely sensitive and require special ways of extracting them without damage and also conditions to succeed.   If you see a nesting turtle on a main road in Haliburton, call us at 705-854-3578. If you see any turtle; rare, dead, alive, injured, or nesting in Haliburton, Muskoka, City of Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough, or Simcoe, call the Turtle Hotline at 705-955-4284 and a biologist will be dispatched to get the coordinates and perhaps to take DNA samples too. If you have a nesting turtle on your own property, and  can cage it safely, this will protect the nest from predators, and presents an amazing opportunity to watch the incredible hatchlings emerge later in the year.  Cage designs are available on the Turtle Guardians website 

Turtle nesting season is nearly upon us! Usually here in the Land Between bioregion by the last week of May we would be seeing the first nesting turtles lay their eggs. However, this year we have had an interesting spring, which at times felt a little more like winter dragging directly into summer – skipping spring altogether! What does this mean for our turtle friends? Well, now that the warm weather has finally arrived we expect to see a lot of turtle activity in the coming weeks as they make up for lost time. Nesting should start anytime now as we head into June.

Turtle Guardians are starting to report more and more turtle sightings along roads. Most of these turtles are likely females heading towards their nesting sites. Did you know that turtles tend to lay their nest at the same site year after year? Turtles have great memories and within the first few years of their life they establish their home range and create a mental map of this territory. Research has shown that for the most part turtles tend to nest and overwinter in the same spots within their home ranges every year.

There are four turtle species here in the Land Between that like to lay their nests in open areas, with soft ground like sand, gravel and loose dirt – which means they will lay their nests in soft road shoulders, in dirt roads and ATV trails. These four species are Painted Turtles, Snapping Turtles, Blanding’s Turtles and Wood Turtles (listed in order of most common to most rare).

Our other three turtle species like to nest close to their home wetlands and water bodies so it is rare for them to nest on road shoulders. Northern Map turtles like sandy, open areas like the four species above, but unlike those turtles, the highly aquatic Northern Map Turtle does not like to travel very far from its home lake. So Map turtles will usually lay their eggs in an open sandy area very close to the water. Spotted Turtles also don’t travel far from their wetlands, but they prefer sheltered, wooded areas and will often lay their nest under decaying leaves. Eastern Musk turtles (Stinkpots) lay their nests the closest to water of all the Land Between turtles. Musk turtles will nest within mere metres of their wetland under leaves, decaying vegetation or rocks.

Get your turtle vision on. Watch out for nesting turtles on road shoulders!

This June and first few weeks of July make sure to watch out for Painted Turtles, Snapping Turtles, and Blanding’s Turtles on roads and road shoulders. These are the three turtles you are most likely to find crossing roads, and nesting in soft shoulders. Of course you never know, there is always the chance of finding one of the more aquatic species that tends to stay off roads (Map, Spotted, Musk), or even the extremely rare Wood Turtle.

You will know a turtle is nesting if she is lying down in the ground with a pile of turned up soil behind her. She might also be rocking back and forth from side to side slowly as she alternates using her back legs to either dig or cover her nest. It can take turtles a few hours to complete the nesting process – Snapping Turtles often take the longest as they need to dig the biggest nest and lay the most eggs. For your reference check out the summary table that compiles the nesting stats for the Land Between Turtles in Central Ontario.

Threats to nests

The biggest threat to turtle eggs are predators. Within 24 hours most turtle nests are dug up and eaten by predators like raccoons, foxes, skunks, coyotes, ravens etc. For instance, within provincial parks in Ontario predation rates for Snapping Turtles are between 60% and 100%, meaning that the vast majority of eggs are eaten before they ever get to hatch – in some cases all of them are eaten!

Now you might be thinking, well how can turtles have survived this long if their nests are so easily found and eaten by other animals? Well, the answer is that while predation rates for turtle eggs have always been high, unfortunately human development has made them higher. This is a phenomena called “subsidized predation” which means that densely populated areas like cities attract and support larger populations of meso-mammal predators (medium sized mammal predators), so there are more predators around to feed on turtle nests than there would be in an undisturbed area. This is because with more people there is more garbage around for these critters to eat and so their populations grow to be larger than they would be if they were only eating their natural diet. Who would have thought that not containing your garbage properly so that foxes and raccoons can’t get into it, could indirectly cause more turtle eggs to be eaten?!

Another threat to turtle nests is the pet trade and poachers. Many people mistakenly think that there is no harm in digging up eggs to hatch and sell; or in taking hatchlings out of the wild to have at home.

What can you do to help protect turtle nests?

The Turtle Guardians program has an entire citizen science program devoted to helping protect nesting turtles and their nests. Check out the “Nest-sitting” program on our website (https://www.turtleguardians.com/turtle-nest-

sitters-training-and-reporting-forms/). If you find a turtle nesting on your own property you can build a nest-cage that will protect the eggs from being scavenged by predators and give them a fighting chance! For information on how to build your own nest cage out of chicken wire and how to properly install it using tent pegs, check out our Nest-Sitting training webinar.

If you find a nesting turtle you can also report it to the S.T.A.R.T. (Saving Turtles At Risk Today) hotline : 705 955 4284, and if you are within their permit area, they may come to dig up the nest and incubate the eggs in their turtle incubator at Scales Nature Park. This action is allowed under special permits as it can help bolster turtle populations- especially in areas with higher nest predation or lower population densities. Once the eggs hatch the baby turtles will be released back at their nest location so they can start out where they would have if they had remained in their nests.

When will successful nests hatch?

As you can see from the summary chart of nest stats, the length of time that eggs remain in the nest before hatching (ie. incubation period) can vary widely within a species and also between species. In general, here in the Land Between and Central Ontario we can expect to see baby turtle hatchlings emerging out of the nest starting at the end of August continuing until the end of September. The exception to this is the Painted Turtle, whose hatchlings will often overwinter in their nests after hatching from their eggs. You will can see baby Painted Turtles emerge from their nests in the spring – with most of them coming out in the last two weeks of May.

 

Written by Meredith Karcz, Senior Conservation Technician

We lose so much wildlife to road mortality here in Ontario. Our roads are well paved and well-tended, making great speedways, but often these roads dissect important habitats and migration routes for wildlife. Notably, turtle populations are most threatened and impacted by road mortality (ahead even of other significant issues of habitat loss and the pet trade). This is significant because it can take more than 20 years for a turtle to reach maturity and then another 20 years or more of laying eggs, until one turtle reaches adulthood to replace its parent. Also snakes, our great pest-controllers, are killed on roads and the devastation that roads are causing to these populations, and populations of birds and mammals, remains notable, but yet unqualified.  

You can help by using vision-tactics when driving: When cruising in the highlands, or anywhere for that matter, it is important to look far ahead instead of immediately in front of you, and also to keep your eyes relaxed in order to take in the entire view. This type of "wide- viewing" takes some practice, but allows you to see what is coming from the all directions including from the sides of the roads and also to see both near and far.  Another tip is to look out for certain patterns: when driving through natural areas, take particular notice of where wetlands are found on both sides of the road. These low lying areas where roads dissect wetlands are ideal spots for many mammals including river otters, mink, raccoons, and of course, turtles to cross the road. Time of day, temperature, weather and even season also makes a difference to some animals occupancy on roads; species such as deer are more apt to be out and about in the early evening and porcupines or foxes prefer to move later at night; turtles are on the move between May and the first week of July and then again at the end of August into the fall; and turtles and snakes may be on roads to bask or feel comfortable moving about when it more than 17 Degrees Celsius by 10 am and before the late afternoon.

In addition to driving with "wide-viewing", you can also help wildlife by recording what you see on roads and the locations where you see wildlife. Reporting wildlife on roads helps biologists and organization create, facilitate or even install solutions from crossing signs, to road underpasses.  The Land Between and Turtle Guardians have launched a volunteer program specifically for watching for turtles on roads called "Road Researchers" and also have ways to report snakes on roads and other wildlife. You can volunteer as a Turtle Road Researcher here.  Also, you can report your sighting on the Land Between website, or on The Land Between iNaturalist project page

For a great guide to identifying wildlife on roads see our partner, at EcoKare International's video and new handbook for Citizen Scientists. EcoKare is a leading expert in wildlife underpasses and road permeability.

Watch our Safe Driving Video here