• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Turtle Guardians

Kids & Communities Helping Ontario's Turtles

Header Right

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • twitter
  • tiktok
  • Shop
  • Events Calendar

Mobile Menu

  • Home
  • About
    • Why Saving Turtles is Important?
    • What is a Turtle Guardian?
    • Become a guardian
    • Partners & supporters
    • The Land Between – Ontario’s Turtle Country
    • Contact
  • What is a Turtle Guardian?
    • Level 1 – Turtle ID & Turtle Camp
    • Level 2- Wetland Monitoring and Turtle Nest Protection
    • Level 3 – Road Research, Turtle Tunnels & Conservation
    • Level 4 & 5- Science permits
  • Volunteering
    • Become a Turtle Guardian
    • Road Researchers
      • Road Researchers Registration
      • Road Researcher Workshops
      • Road Researcher Tools and Reporting
    • Nest Sitters
      • Nest Sitters Registration
      • Nest Sitters Workshops
      • Turtle Nest Sitters Training and Reporting Forms
    • Wetland Watchers
      • Wetland Watcher Registration
      • Wetland Watcher Workshops
      • Wetland Watcher Protocols and Reporting
    • Turtle Tunnel Assessors
      • Turtle Tunnel Assessor Registration Form
      • Turtle Tunnel Workshops
      • Turtle Tunnel Assessment
    • Turtle Walk 2021
  • Turtle Conservation
    • Why Saving Turtles is Important?
    • So you found a turtle…
    • Helping a turtle across the road
    • Turtle Nesting
    • Snapping turtles & your lake
    • Helping Turtles Around Your Property
    • Turtle Recovery Campaign
      • T5 Campaign
  • Learning Resources
    • Turtle Facts
    • Turtle identification
      • Parts of a turtle
      • Blanding’s Turtle
      • Map turtle
      • Painted turtle
      • Snapping turtle
      • Spiny softshell turtle
      • Spotted turtle
      • Stinkpot turtle/Musk turtle
      • Wood turtle
    • Turtle Habitats
      • Lakes and Rivers
      • Ponds and Marshes
      • Swamps and Carrs
      • Bogs and Fens
    • School Curriculums
      • Intermediate (Grades 7-10)
      • Junior (Grades 4-6)
      • Primary (K-3) Grades
    • Research Reports
      • Habitat Requirements and Biology
    • The Land Between. Ontario’s Turtle Country
  • Why Saving Turtles is Important?
  • Donate
  • Member login
  • Sighting Report Form
  • Become a Turtle Guardian
  • Shop
  • T5 Campaign
  •  
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • tiktok
  • Shop
  • Events Calendar
  • Home
  • About
    • Why Saving Turtles is Important?
    • What is a Turtle Guardian?
    • Become a guardian
    • Partners & supporters
    • The Land Between – Ontario’s Turtle Country
    • Contact
  • What is a Turtle Guardian?
    • Level 1 – Turtle ID & Turtle Camp
    • Level 2- Wetland Monitoring and Turtle Nest Protection
    • Level 3 – Road Research, Turtle Tunnels & Conservation
    • Level 4 & 5- Science permits
  • Volunteering
    • Become a Turtle Guardian
    • Road Researchers
      • Road Researchers Registration
      • Road Researcher Workshops
      • Road Researcher Tools and Reporting
    • Nest Sitters
      • Nest Sitters Registration
      • Nest Sitters Workshops
      • Turtle Nest Sitters Training and Reporting Forms
    • Wetland Watchers
      • Wetland Watcher Registration
      • Wetland Watcher Workshops
      • Wetland Watcher Protocols and Reporting
    • Turtle Tunnel Assessors
      • Turtle Tunnel Assessor Registration Form
      • Turtle Tunnel Workshops
      • Turtle Tunnel Assessment
    • Turtle Walk 2021
  • Turtle Conservation
    • Why Saving Turtles is Important?
    • So you found a turtle…
    • Helping a turtle across the road
    • Turtle Nesting
    • Snapping turtles & your lake
    • Helping Turtles Around Your Property
    • Turtle Recovery Campaign
      • T5 Campaign
  • Learning Resources
    • Turtle Facts
    • Turtle identification
      • Parts of a turtle
      • Blanding’s Turtle
      • Map turtle
      • Painted turtle
      • Snapping turtle
      • Spiny softshell turtle
      • Spotted turtle
      • Stinkpot turtle/Musk turtle
      • Wood turtle
    • Turtle Habitats
      • Lakes and Rivers
      • Ponds and Marshes
      • Swamps and Carrs
      • Bogs and Fens
    • School Curriculums
      • Intermediate (Grades 7-10)
      • Junior (Grades 4-6)
      • Primary (K-3) Grades
    • Research Reports
      • Habitat Requirements and Biology
    • The Land Between. Ontario’s Turtle Country
  • Why Saving Turtles is Important?
  • Donate
  • Member login
  • Sighting Report Form
  • Become a Turtle Guardian
  • Shop
  • T5 Campaign
  •  

Snapping turtles and your lake

You may be surprised to find out that turtles, especially snapping turtles, are essential for our human health.

Dear Lake-land owner,

Here are a few surprising facts about snapping turtles that you must know before you take any action against these creatures:

    1. If you remove turtles, especially snapping turtles from your lake, you can expect to eventually succumb to some unpleasant illnesses or issues such as jock-itch! This is because turtles, but especially snapping turtles, are the creatures in water that can be considered the best at cleaning the water: They remove dead and decaying bodies of fishes, frogs, and other creatures from the lake. They are like turkey-vultures of the lake. Without turtles in your lake, the bacteria levels will increase. In fact, the older larger turtles eat mostly seeds, vegetation and dead matter. It is the younger turtles that require more protein as they grow that consume live fish and may take a duckling. Also, snapping turtles, like all turtles must remain in their territories to survive- moving them can lead to their death. Turtles make a mental map of their territories at a young age, and cannot make new maps as they get older- and they use the earth's magnetics to navigate to north, and the sun for east and west. They are so good at knowing their territories that they will hibernate within 1m of the year before. Moving them, therefore means they will wander lost and may not find hibernation sites, and often the stress will result in them ceasing to eat.
    2. Because turtles prefer dead smelly or fishy meals, you do not smell attractive at all to turtles. They have little interest in biting you, eating you or harming you when they are in the water. We have heard of a few stories of people dangling feet over docks or kicking turtle when swimming, and have heard of a few cases where turtles may then snap at the person, but snapping turtles, while giving a sharp bite CANNOT BITE OFF A GROWN PERSON'S DIGIT! This is because snapping turtles in Canada do not have enough strength in their jaws to break through bone or even ligaments. Their jaw strength is not as strong as human's. Alligator snapping turtles in the southern United States grow extremely large and may exert enough pressure to do this, but it is very unlikely that the ones in Canada reach sizes large enough to exert the pressure to break through ligaments and bones.  Snapping turtles may bite in water if they associate your dock with food; if you have been fishing off the dock regularly, and then dangle a digit or limb it is possible that the turtle will mistake it for food. However, it is easy to change the turtles habitats; simply swim in the area so the turtle can see the entire human is not food, and of course, stop fishing from that location...at least for a while.
    3. In fact, snapping turtles are actually gentle, shy and somewhat curious creatures when they are in the water. This is because here, they are top predators and can swim very well. Here, they have nothing to fear and they are not vulnerable. In fact, we sent our staff to swim with the snappers and give them a pet... and have heard of and witnessed many other individuals swimming next to, standing on, and petting a snapping turtle in the water and they were not startled or defensive at all. People have been swimming safely next to snapping turtles in Ontario's lakes for centuries...they simply may not have known it.

Our staff swimming with snappers

 

 

While we do NOT CONDONE FEEDING Turtles, we have linked to this video (one of many that show how gentle the turtles are and that their bite cannot really cause harm:

    1. Snapping turtles snap on land because they are the only turtles that do not have a sufficiently large plastron (an under-carriage- and in fact it is very small) and therefore they cannot hide or tuck in like other turtles. Therefore the only way they can protect themselves while on the land is to snap. However, like other turtles, snapping turtles are actually afraid of humans on land and only snap in defense when they feel threatened...they would prefer to retreat or for you to retreat out of their way.
    2. Snapping turtles are a protected species. Harming a snapping turtle has carried large fine of up to $25,000. Harming a turtle includes moving a turtle from  your lake. Turtles live in territories that they have imprinted in their minds when very young. They cannot replace this "mind map" and moving them may mean that they cannot find feeding grounds, hibernation sites, or mating areas. Moving turtles away from their homes can compromise their ability to survive.
    3. Snapping turtles, like other turtles, live for more than 100 years and in fact there is evidence that they can live more than 400 years. They need to live a long time because it takes more than 60 years on average for a turtle to replace itself- Less than 1% of turtle eggs survive and make it to adulthood. Adult turtles are the most important members of a population because there are fewer natural threats to them. Adults therefore can help sustain populations by recruiting many more offspring in their lifetime. However, because of human fear and predation, pet trades and now more than ever, road traffic, turtle populations are declining rapidly and may never rebound. This means the health of our lakes and our drinking water is also at risk.
    4. Turtles, especially snapping turtles are agents of biodiversity; in addition to cleaning detritus from waters, they spread seeds that grow into plants that support fish nurseries and wetland ecosystems. More than 70% of fish and wildlife in Ontario rely on these areas to survive. Turtles are like the birds of the water. Without them our wetlands and fish nurseries would diminish.
    5. Turtles are sacred creatures. They are as old as the dinosaurs. It is said that turtles were around when God created the world, and they witnessed all of Creation. Turtles are a symbol of Truth. The earth was created on the turtle's back and is referred to as Turtle Island. Each turtle has 13 scutes (triangles) on its shell representing the 13 moons in each year. Each turtle has 28 ridges around its shell, representing the 28 days between moons.

Everyone has a turtle story.

Helping turtles means helping ourselves. Think twice before you harm our environment.

Primary Sidebar

Member Login



signup now | forgot password?

Recent News

  • We are Hiring! Summer and into the Fall 2021
  • What the Phrag? All You Need to Know About Invasive Phragmites
  • Bridging Communities Through Experiences with Public Art and Nature
  • New Children’s Book to Save Turtles_ Never Give Up_ Now in Ojibwa and English
  • Turtle Calendars Raise Funds for Tunnels

Turtle Guardians is a program of The Land Between charity and invaluable partners. www.thelandbetween.ca

Contact Turtle Guardians at 705-457-1222 info@turtleguardians.ca

Footer

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

turtleguardians

Kids & Communities Saving Turtles 🇨🇦 A National Charity to Help Our Oldest Relatives. 🐢 Follow us on Facebook or find us online @turtleguardians

For our 2021 Turtle Walk, Turtle Guardians and The For our 2021 Turtle Walk, Turtle Guardians and The Land Between charity will be raising money for nonprofit organizations in Texas that are working to save sea turtles. A high number of turtles have been found “frozen” on beaches due to the unusually cold weather in Texas. Although many have been rescued and brought to shelters, they still have a lot of care and recovery ahead of them before they can be released.⠀
⠀
Please visit The Land Between or Turtle Guardians website for more information or to register for a 2021 Turtle Walk 🐢⠀
⠀
#turtleguardians #turtlewalk #reptiles #reptilesofinstagram #thelandbetween #tlb #eccc #cnpp #speciesatrisk #sar #conservation #highlandhabitat #ontarioturtles #turtleconservation #texasturtles
We are hiring for summer 2021! Full and Part Time We are hiring for summer 2021! Full and Part Time positions ranging from 2 to 12 months. We are hiring turtle and wildlife field technicians, restoration ecologists, lake health specialists, computer programmers, and Indigenous Knowledge Coordinators. Visit us online for more information (link in bio)!⠀
⠀
#turtleguardians #thelandbetween #wildlifeconservation #summer2021 #fieldwork #ontarioturtles #restorationecology #fieldtechnician #conservationbiology #wearehiring #haliburtonhighlands #indigenousknowledge
Turtles are always keeping us guessing! This turtl Turtles are always keeping us guessing! This turtle was seen walking on top of a frozen wetland a couple of years ago in Minnesota! Maybe there will be something to look forward to this March!⠀
⠀
Credit: David Ellis/USFWS⠀
⠀
#turtleguardians #thelandbetween #turtleconservation #minnesota #winterecology #watch4turtles #prairiewetlandslearningcentre
Welcome to March! I'm sure everyone is a little si Welcome to March! I'm sure everyone is a little sick of being inside right about now but only a couple more weeks until spring! It won't be long until turtles leave their hibernation sites and we start seeing them out on the roads again. Helping turtles across the road is a great way to get out of the house and keep busy this spring! Always move a turtle in the direction it was travelling and if you see any red-eared sliders like Betty, contact us at 705-854-3578 for more information on what to do with invasive species!⠀
⠀
#turtleguardians #thelandbetween #redearedsliders #invasivespecies #ontarioturtles #watch4turtles #bettyboop #turtlesofinstagram #reptilesofinstagram #lockdown #march #macbook #pizza #stayinside
Check out our new Turtle Guardians music video!⠀ Check out our new Turtle Guardians music video!⠀
⠀
⠀
#turtleguardians #thelandbetween #ontarioturtles #turtleconservation #watch4turtles #wildlifeconservation #speciesatrisk
We're starting to notice the days getting longer w We're starting to notice the days getting longer which means that turtle season is right around the corner! Spotted turtles are the first turtles to emerge from hibernation in the spring, often appearing while there is still partial ice cover. Unlike Ontario's other turtle species, spotted turtles don't spend the hottest parts of the summer basking in the sun and foraging, instead they go into a period of hot-weather dormancy called aestivation. Spotted turtles will aestivate in the soft bottoms of water bodies, fields or woodlands to avoid the hot, dry weather!⠀
⠀
⠀
#turtleguardians #thelandbetween #ontarioturtles #spottedturtle #turtlefacts #speciesatrisk #wildlifeconservation #aestivation #conservationbiology #savetheturtles #hibernation #⠀
⠀
Photo Credits: Scott Gillingwater
Everybody could use a little sunshine in their lif Everybody could use a little sunshine in their life, especially our cold blooded friends. Reptiles can't regulate their body temperature internally so it fluctuates with their environment. By basking in the sun, turtles and frogs raise their body temperature which helps to increase their metabolism for digesting food and reproduction!⠀
⠀
⠀
#turtleguardians #thelandbetween #paintedturtle #ontarioturtles #greenfrog #ectotherm #coldblooded #sunshine #reptiles #turtlefacts ⠀
⠀
Photo Credit: Tom Ferguson
The most obvious difference between northern map t The most obvious difference between northern map turtles (left) and midland painted turtles (right) is the size. Female northern map turtles can reach up to 27 cm long whereas painted turtles typically only reach 14 cm long. The carapace (top shell) also differs in colour and shape. Northern map turtles have light markings on a dark background and a serrated edge at the rear. Painted turtles have a smooth, black carapace with red markings around the edges. ⠀
⠀
⠀
#turtleguardians #thelandbetween #paintedturtle #northernmapturtle #ontarioturtles #turtlefacts #turtleconservation #wildlifeconservation #watch4turtles ⠀
⠀
Photo credits: Green Raven Photography
Happy Valentine's Day! Whether you like this day o Happy Valentine's Day! Whether you like this day or not, just remember that tomorrow is a holiday and all the stores will have half priced chocolate! ⠀
⠀
⠀
#turtleguardians #thelandbetween #turtleconservation #snappingturtle #hatchlings #heart #valentinesday #speciesconservation #reptilesofinstagram #turtlesofinstagram #chocolate #familyday #ontarioturtles #holiday
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Follow Us on Twitter

My Tweets

Search

Site Navigation

  • Home
  • About
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • How to Help Turtles
  • Learning Resources
  • Contact

Our Partners

Join Us at Turtle Stories

Download the Turtle Guardians App for your mobile device!

 

 

Contact Turtle Guardians by calling 705-457-1222 or texting 705-854-3578

Copyright © 2021 Turtle Guardians · Email Us · Privacy Policy

Site Development by TechnicalitiesPlus Inc.