Coming Soon: Book Your Tour Here
Take a Turtle Tour at Our Visitor's Centre in Haliburton.
Summer Hours: Tuesday 10:30am-6pm; Wed to Friday 1pm-6pm; and Saturday 10:30 am-6pm.
Tours are every half hour.
SHOP SWAG AND GIFTS TOO!
Meet our teaching turtles!
Our native turtles are kept under special permits. It is illegal to keep native Ontario turtles as a pet without permission.
Note: Our wildlife permits dictate how we care for these animals: For instance, each turtle, including snapping turtles, live in tanks which size are regulated by these licences to ensure they feel comfortable; the types of daily enrichments such as walks, physiotherapy for the disabled turtles; uv exposure, and food/nutrition are also included in our protocols and approvals. Other aspects that are regulated and approved under our permits include even the way in which the turtles are transported to events and the length of time they are exposed to people and "uncomfortable situations" - These are all considerations.
Although we would love to go beyond the requirements of our permits, and therefore, for our Teaching Turtles to each have tanks the size of hot tubs or swimming pools, and also to have large indoor spaces for the turtles to roam, our capacity at this time does not allow for these. However, we are in constant search of an ideal facility! If you have any leads on other rental options and facilities, please get in touch with Leora at info@turtleguardians.ca
Why do we have turtles in captivity?
Our native turtles have been brought to us because they cannot survive in the wild; and without adoption, they would face euthanasia.
Some animals in our care were saved and treated at the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre; having suffered injuries from automobile strikes, boat accidents, or having injuries from predators. These sentient beings can no longer walk, swim, dig, or hibernate properly in the wild, and yet they demonstrated that they each had a resilient spirit and therefore they were not euthanized. Other animals were taken out of the wild illegally as pets, and then surrendered to government officials who contacted us to adopt them. It is often the case that animals taken away from home territories when they are older cannot be simply released anywhere in the wild if they are to survive. Also, in Ontario, it is illegal to release an animal without a known point of origin.
It is important to us that our animals are happy; We provide them with daily enrichment outside of their enclosures and monitor their "emotionality" to ensure they are content (have their necks out and are eager to eat and explore).
Support The Turtles
Each turtle has their own personality, backstory, and reason they cannot live in the wild. They have an important job, being advocates for their species and teaching the public about turtles!
Click on their names to learn more!
Timmy is a Common Snapping Turtle! Timothy weighs roughly 20 lbs! Based on size, we estimate he is about 100 years old. Timothy came to the Turtle Guardians program from the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC) in 2018. Timothy was brought to the OTCC with the injuries he shows today, however we are not sure how exactly these injuries were caused, maybe he was hit by a car, or maybe a boat. Our best guess is that Timothy was run over by a car. Tim cannot move his back legs. He, unlike Jer, does not like skateboarding, and undergoes regular physiotherapy at our facility. Tim has recently started moving using his front legs and tail on the ground. A big improvement! Timothy’s injuries have deemed him non-releasable, as he would not be able to successfully fend for himself in the wild, but Timothy makes an excellent member of the Turtle Guardians team and is an ambassador for his species! Timmy is a gentle giant. He is a quiet soul, who enjoys his alone time. Timmy is strong-willed and does not let his injuries hold him back! He uses his front legs and tails to move and climb!
Nimkii came to us in July 2023. She was an educational turtle at Scales Nature Park before she came to us. She was named with the help of Tracey Taylor at Curve Lake, and means Thunder in Anishinaabemowin. Although we do not know how old she is, Nimkii is an adult based on her size so she is at least 20 years old. Nimkii is mostly a laid back turtle, who doesn’t mind being handled.
Mica is an Eastern Musk Turtle, sometimes called a Stinkpot. She weighs less than ½ a lbs, which is about the size of a clementine. Eastern Musk Turtles mature within 4-8 years, so she's an adult female. Mica was born in October of 2016 at Scales Nature Park. She joined the Turtle Guardians team when she was 2 years old years old! Mica and her parents are both captive, meaning they are non-releasable. Mica is very shy and spends most of her time basking under her heat lamp!
Jeremiah is a Common Snapping Turtle! She weighs roughly 18 pounds. Based on size, we estimate that Jeremiah is 70 years old. Despite her name, Jeremiah is actually a female snapping turtle! When she first came to the Turtle Guardians program, we thought she was a male! After an x-ray, it was revealed that she was female. It is very difficult to determine the sex of Snapping Turtles. Jeremiah was brought into the OTCC in 2014. She stayed with them for roughly 4 years and joined the Turtle Guardians program in 2018. Jeremiah has both shell and beak injuries, and also may be blind in one eye. This suggests that Jeremiah was straddled by a car, got spooked, and snapped her beak up into the car undercarriage. Although straddling a turtle may seem like a safe way to avoid a hit altogether, straddling can also cause injuries, just like Jeremiah shows here. Jeremiah is non-releasable due to her injuries, and actually undergoes regular physiotherapy at our facility. Turtles can regrow nerve tissue and Jer is starting to regain movement in her back legs. Jer is full of life! She is an inspiration to everyone she meets. She doesn’t let her injury hold her back. When on her skateboard, she really gets moving! She's the sweetest snapper you’ll ever meet. She's not great at eating her veggies though, she would much rather fish.
Otis is a Red-eared Slider, a species that is non-native to Ontario. Red-Eared sliders are sometimes kept as pets, and then unfortunately, released into our natural environment where they do not belong. They cause problems for native species by competing with them for resources and habitat. Red-eared Sliders are larger and mature faster than Painted Turtles, meaning they can out-compete them for resources. Otis was found by one of the Turtle Guardian Staff Members in 2020 on the side of the road. We estimate he is about 10-15 years old. We know he is male based on his long front claws. These are used for attracting females during courting. Otis is full of drama, and will flap around when he's picked up. He is sometimes caught trying to court his own reflection. Otis could not be released back to where he was found because he is non-native.
Beakler is a Common Snapping Turtle. He is estimated to be 10-15 years old. Figgy and Beakler were found by Park Staff at Salmonier Nature Park in Newfoundland in 2020. Common Snapping Turtles are not Native to Newfoundland, so park staff already saw red-flags when they found these two. It is suspected that Figgy and Beakler were once kept as pets, or for the food trade and later released into the wild. Because we do not know where Figgy and Beakler originally came from, they are deemed non-releasable and joined the Turtle Guardians program in the Summer of 2020, after taking a plane here! They broke the covid bubble! Beakler’s full name is “Beakler Snacks the Rock Von Snappington”, the longest name of any of our teaching turtles. Beaky is a bit more sedentary (lazy) and loves butt scratches. He lives for feeding day and his favourite treat is watermelon! Since we don't know where they came from, Beakler and Figgy cannot be released into the wild. Turtles have a very low chance of survival after relocation because they are very connected to their territories.
Flora and Fauna are Midland Painted Turtles, who were both left blind (and eyeless) from being hit by cars. After recovering and being deemed unreleasable at the OTCC, they came to live with us in June of 2024! Flora is also missing her front leg. Even though they are blind and cannot live in the wild, these ladies can still swim well and love to bask (mostly on top of each other).
Levi is a Wood Turtle - a critically endangered species in Ontario. He was brought to the OTCC because his front legs were chewed off from a predator. Unfortunately, with the rise of mesopredators (foxes, raccoons etc), this is becoming a more common occurrence for Wood Turtles. Due to his injuries, Levi was deemed unreleasable and came to us in June 2024. Levi is on the smaller end of an adult male wood turtle - we call that a sub-adult (not full grown, but sexually mature). We know Levi is male because he has a concave (indented) belly shell and a thick tail. Wood Turtles are much more terrestrial than the other turtles in Ontario, meaning they spend a lot of time on land - and like to eat berries, slugs, mushrooms and carrion! Although we’ve only known Levi for a short time - he seems to really love strawberries and earthworms best! We love the squeaks he makes when eating! Due to his injury, Levi cannot swim and must stay in shallow water.
Figgy is a Common Snapping Turtle. Figgy is a male, and reached sexual maturity recently. He acts very much like a teenager! We think he’s between 15 and 20. Figgy and Beakler were found by Park Staff at Salmonier Nature Park in Newfoundland in 2020. Common Snapping Turtles are not Native to Newfoundland, so park staff already saw red-flags when they found these two. It is suspected that Figgy and Beakler were once kept as pets, or for the food trade and later released into the wild. Because we do not know where Figgy and Beakler originally came from, they are deemed non-releasable and joined the Turtle Guardians program in the Summer of 2020, after taking a plane here! They broke the covid bubble! Figgy is very active and loves walks. He actually has a leash! Since we don't know where they came from, Beakler and Figgy cannot be released into the wild. Turtles have a very low chance of survival after relocation because they are very connected to their territories.
Betty is a Red-eared Slider, a species that is non-native to Ontario. Red-Eared sliders are sometimes kept as pets, and then unfortunately, released into our natural environment where they do not belong. They cause problems for native species by competing with them for resources and habitat. Red-eared Sliders are larger and mature faster than Painted Turtles, meaning they can out-compete them for resources. Betty was found on a road in Peterborough County in 2018 and brought to the OTCC. Because she is a non-native species, she could not be released back to where she was found and came to live with us. Based on her size and the way her shell looks, Betty is old, but it is hard to tell her true age. She is nearly full grown for a red eared slider who lives to be around 45-75 so she's probably 20-40. Betty lives to eat - and is always getting into trouble. She will eat anything! Since she is non-native, Betty can not be released into the wild.
Emy came to us in spring 2022. We don’t know alot about her background, but we do know that she was kept as a pet (illegally) in Alberta for several years. She was then sent to Little ResQ who contacted us for a permanent home. Once we got permits, we were able to pick her up! Emy is an adult Blanding’s Turtle (so over 18). We have not aged her, but we do know from another study in the US, that the oldest Blanding’s Turtle found in the wild was over 80 years old! You might say Emy is the most charismatic teaching turtle - but maybe that’s just because she’s always smiling. She loves to meet people, and show off by diving off her platform and blowing bubbles! Emy is also the grossest turtle at TG, and is most likely to pee or poop on you
Margaret is an Eastern Musk Turtle, sometimes called a Stinkpot. They weigh less than ½ a lbs, which is about the size of a clementine. Eastern Musk Turtles mature within 4-8 years, so she is an adult female. Margaret came to Turtle Guardians in the summer of 2022. They are wonderful parts of the Turtle Guardians team, showing you one of the smallest members of Ontario native turtles! Margaret and her parents are both captive, meaning they are non-releasable.
Niijii and Nogo are Midland Painted Turtles, who were both hit by cars and left with life altering injuries. They were brought to the OTCC and once deemed unreleasable, came to live with us in June of 2024. Niijii means friend in Anishinaabemowin and Nogo means knowledge! They were named by our board members from Curve Lake First Nations. Nogo is larger and has a big crack in her shell. Niijii and Nogo are very bonded, and lived together at the OTCC while recovering. They even eat together! Due to their injuries, they cannot live in deep water - because if they flip themselves upside down (as Nogo seems to do) they cannot right themselves and risk drowning. Both of these turtles will continue receiving physiotherapy here at TG to aid in the movement recovery of their back legs! They love the feeling of their waterfall!
Willow came to us in fall of 2022. She weighs about 17lbs and is aged at 40-60. Willow was kept illegally as a pet and surrendered to a rescue in Southern Ontario. She is scared of people, and untrusting. Unfortunately, we don’t think she was cared for well by her previous owners. She came in with sores on her feet, leading us to suspect she was kept in shallow or no water. We are working hard to gain Willow’s trust, and she has come a long way since arriving! Willow likes to explore the office, and bask in the sun outside on warm days. Since we don't know where she came from, Willow cannot be released into the wild. Turtles have a very low chance of survival after relocation because they are very connected to their territories.
Toad was surrendered to the BC Conservation Service of Environment Canada after being kept illegally as a pet. Toad is a male juvenile Snapping Turtle. He cannot be released into the wild because it is illegal to relocate turtles away from their home territories. Since we don't know where he originated from, he will spend his life as a teaching turtle! Toad’s shell is just under 20cm long (about the size of a pencil). Toad is still learning to trust in the TG staff, but has already shown a love of blueberries, and is growing like a weed!
Blueberry Dovreshin was surrendered to the BC Conservation Service of Environment Canada after being kept illegally as a pet. Blueberry is a juvenile Snapping Turtle, They cannot be released into the wild because it is illegal to relocate turtles away from their home territories. Since we don't know where they originated from, they will spend their life as a teaching turtle! Blue's middle name is to honour the Conservation Officer who rescued him! Blue’s shell is only 13cm long (about the size of a candy cane). Blue is a very fast runner and likes to burry in pine needles!
The Turtle Guardians Program, Call or Text 705-854-2888
Box 1368, Haliburton, ON, K0M 1S0
email: info@turtleguardians.ca