It’s spring and turtles will soon be back on the move.
But speeding traffic and slow-moving turtles are a dangerous combination. Many are severely injured or killed every year.
“With the increase of new roads due to new development, turtles have to travel further to find breeding, nesting, and over-wintering sites,” said Alissa Fraser, conservation technician at rare Charitable Research Reserve in Cambridge.
There are eight native species of turtles in Ontario, all of which are at risk or endangered. Snapping and painted turtles are most prevalent in the Cambridge area.
“Turtles are more at risk as natural nesting sites are destroyed. Snapping turtles look for places like the side of a road which is very perilous for them,” Fraser said.
The rare Charitable Research Reserve is a community-based urban land trust and environmental institute that protects over 1,200 acres of highly sensitive lands across Waterloo Region and Wellington County.
The rare turtle project was launched in 2017 and responds to community calls.
“If anyone finds a turtle nest that is at risk from human disturbance, they can call the rare hotline,” Fraser said.
At risk areas include road shoulders, trails, driveways, volleyball courts, or playgrounds.
“We collect the eggs, or we can provide them with a nest protector.”
Collected eggs are taken to rare, where they are incubated until they hatch. Hatchlings are returned to a safe area, close to the collection site, often within 100 metres.
So far, 5,200 hatchlings have been released.
“Snapping turtles are the ones most likely to travel and use sites like a road or a park. Other species are more likely to nest in a lawn, so they are less noticeable,” Fraser said.
It can take decades for a turtle to replace itself because the eggs have a high mortality rate which is why, Fraser says, it is important that these adults survive.
One way to help is with more nest protectors
“We definitely need them," Fraser said. "Often, protectors go missing or are sometimes destroyed. But many do stay on the nest, so we can reuse them year after year.”
Fraser says rare only has a capacity of 2,000 eggs in its incubator.
“Nests on the edge of a trail or are near predators need protection. A protector on someone’s lawn or garden saves space in our incubator,” Fraser said.
For anyone willing to make them, the design on the rare website.
Part of the turtle project at rare includes reporting turtle ‘hot spots’ to the city.
“With wildlife fencing and turtle corridors, there is improvement, and these are long term solutions,” Fraser said.
Fraser says right now, some turtles are moving from the hibernation and looking for mating areas.
“You might see a turtle anytime from now until the end of October. There’s an influx in May and into June. And watch for the hatchlings in September,” Fraser said.
“You can help turtles cross the road by picking them up and moving them in the direction they are going. Rare is not set up to take injured turtles. If a turtle is injured, you can call the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre.”
The Preston Animal Clinic in Cambridge also accepts wildlife including turtles.
A turtle is cold blooded and can last for sometimes over a week with extreme injuries. Even an injury where their shell has been cracked open, a turtle can still survive.
“If you see a female deceased on the side of the road, her eggs can be saved up to 48 hours after she’s been hit. Cover them up and report it.”
And as for advice on how to pick up a snapping turtle, Fraser says to grab them from the back of their shell because they can be ambitious and can reach ¾ of the way back. It is important to not grab their tale as it is an extension of their spine, and their vertebrae can be dislocated.
If the turtle is too heavy, you can grab it by the back of the shell and drag it in the direction it is going.
“It is so exciting to see hatchlings come out of their shell and see these tiny little babies who have survived because they have so much against them as eggs. And to see them swim off and wish them well, you realize it’s all worth it,” Fraser said.
“The more people that know about the turtle project, the more nests we can protect.”
If you find a nest that is at risk from human impacts, mark the site and report the nest to rare’s turtle hotline at 226-962-6885.
If you find a turtle nesting or crossing the road, visit the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre here.
If you find an injured turtle, call the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre Hotline at 705-741-5000.
For more information about the rare turtle project, visit here.
