The turtle conundrum; While we want them safe, we can never relocate a turtle- it can mean their demise.
Do not relocate the turtle or take them home as pets. This is both illegal and may be harmful to their survival. Turtles in the wild, make spatial memories of their territories, including the routes they take and hibernation sites they use. This territory is essentially like their language. Moving a turtle to an entirely new area is like asking them to learn a new language overnight.
Keep wild turtles wild: Each is essential to the population.
Keep Wild Turtles in Nature
Turtles have declined more than 50% globally. Turtles losses are due to road traffic, fishing bycatch, habitat loss, poaching, and also because of people removing them from the wild as pets.
In Ontario, in natural areas, where there is no subsidized predation by raccoons and skunks etc, it can take up to 60 years for a turtle to have a successful offspring to replace itself once in nature! Studies have shown it takes at least 30 years of laying eggs, added to the almost 20 years for turtles to mature, for one turtle egg to hatch successfully and grow old enough to lay eggs replacing its parent in the population. These numbers are based on recruitment rates (the time it takes for young to successfully reach adulthood) in natural areas. Where people live, turtles have a harder time succeeding! These numbers are similar in many parts of the world.
Removing turtles from wild populations reduces the number of turtles in a population and reduces the potential breeding population, therefore affecting the next generations for all time.
Turtles need to stay in the wild to support human health too! Turtle provide ecological services that are irreplaceable and cannot be duplicated by humans: They cycle nutrients, eat dead matter that would otherwise pollute our waters, and they spread aquatic seeds that grow into plants that filter water, and provide amazing habitat for fish and aquatic species. No one else can do this job as well as turtles! They are the best janitors and gardeners of our aquatic ecosystems.
It is the Law
Turtles cannot be relocated or taken as pets. They can however be helped and this can be moving them typically no more than 200 metres from where they were found (again, when assisting the turtle out of harms way).
All turtles, and including turtle nests, in Ontario cannot be interfered with, transported, or kept without special wildlife permits.
Turtles and many turtle habitats are protected under legislation in Ontario and Canada.
Snapping and painted turtles are protected under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, and all other turtle species in Ontario are also protected the Endangered Species Act. These species, are also protected and the Species at Risk Act in Canada.
In addition to the turtles themselves being protected, their habitats, including the hibernation sites and nest sites of Threatened and Endangered species are protected under these laws.
Fines for relocating or removing turtles and eggs from nature can be as high as $1000,000.00. Fines for deliberate to turtles also carries fines and up to 1 year in jail.
Health Considerations
Turtles, especially snapping turtles are some of nature's best janitors! They are scavengers and help clean our water by removing dead and decaying carcasses that are sources of harmful bacteria. Therefore turtles, better than any other species, support the health of our drinking and swimming water.
However, turtles (rare in nature but common when in captivity) can contract and carry harmful strains of salmonella. Also, turtles can carry diseases that, while not affecting humans, can spread between turtles. Therefore, when you touch a turtle to help it cross a road, it is always best to wash your hands.
Wild turtle pets
- In most provinces and many states, it is illegal to keep native turtles as pets.
- Here are more basics from colleagues in Texas: http://www.texasturtles.org/whattodo.html
- A great fact sheet from our partners at Scales Nature Park: http://www.scalesnaturepark.ca/Downloads/Helping Guide.pdf
Are you concerned about construction and habitat loss in your area? Is it affecting our local turtle neighbours? Turtle Guardians works to install ecopassages and road mitigation systems, as well as to conserve wetland habitats, and find collaborative community based solutions!