NEWS RELEASE
THINK TURTLE CONSERVATION INITIATIVE
***********************
Triggered by the seasonal shift from summer to fall please be aware the potential of increased turtle road crossings until possibly into early November depending on the temperatures and weather patterns. Overall, expect to see more turtle activity on the roads and/or trails in Ontario’s rural communities, cottage country and the outskirts of urban communities as soon as today.
Think Turtle Conservation Initiative offers the following information on what to watch out for and how to help turtles during this time.
Adult and juvenile turtles
July to early September saw a noted reduction in turtle activity on the roads due to the extreme heat but that has since changed. Shortening days and falling temperatures as seasonal cues for their dormancy period known as ‘brumation’ that will commence late fall will prompt the adult and juvenile turtles to be on the move. Some travel short distances, others longer distances to get to their chosen winter habitat.
The turtles will seek refuge at the bottom of ponds, lakes or other bodies of water that will ice over but not freeze solid. They will burrow into the sand, gravel or muddy water bed or in between rock crevices, in rotted out logs or under leafy debris on the water bed. Each of the eight turtle species has particular preferences as to the type of winter habitat they prefer. Snapping turtles and other turtle species sometimes, if the opportunity presents itself, brumate (hibernate) in abandoned muskrat burrows or lodges. As a point of interest, researchers believe that when it comes to brumation, much like nesting, turtles will often go back to the same site.
If during your travels on foot, via motor vehicle, bike or ATV you find an injured turtle, please call the Ontario Conservation Centre (OTCC), which is Ontario’s turtle hospital, at 705-741-5000. They are located in Peterborough and admit turtles from all across Ontario. If you are not able to drive the turtle to the OTCC a ride can be arranged through their Turtle Taxi volunteers.
Hatchlings
There are still turtle nests hatching out, which can mean hatchlings on the roads.
Being that turtles are ectothermic and cannot generate their own body heat cool temperatures setting in earlier than usual can cause hatchlings to experience a degree of ‘cold stunning.’ This could leave them a little disoriented and especially vulnerable to road mortality and/or predators. If you find turtle hatchlings over the coming weeks helping them get to their intended body of water as quickly as possible improves their odds of survival.
Releasing hatchlings
Always handle turtle hatchlings carefully as their shells are soft and pliable. A firm but gentle grip will suffice while taking a hatchling to the nearest body of water in the direction the hatchling was headed. The body of water should be one where there is no risk of it freezing solid during the winter.
Please do not release the hatching into open water. There are predators just lying in wait. Scout out a spot within the water body that has a shallow area, ideally varying water depths in the vicinity and very importantly an area that has vegetation and/or leafy debris that will serve as a protective covering for the hatchlings.
Hatchlings will spend much of their early years hiding until they have gained some size and girth and are not so vulnerable to predators.
If releasing a hatchling it should be placed at the waters edge or a shallow entry point where the hatchling can enter the water at their own pace. A hatchling should be robust and active prior to releasing. If a hatchling is put in water that is more then two inches deep to start off with no resting spots such as vegetation to cling on to in order to breathe, the hatchling will have to tread water. A hatchling can only tread water for so long. It is better to have the water too shallow than too deep. Should a hatchling be released into water that is too deep this could contribute to drowning.
The time spent finding the ideal conditions for a safe release will enable hatchling(s) to bypass predators they could encounter on the route from the nest to the body of water and give them ample opportunity to assimilate to the environment they are released into. These factors will significantly increase the chances of survival for the hatchling(s) you release.
Keep an eye out for turtle hatchlings on the roads, ATV trails and walking paths and be sure to check your gardens and lawns before seeing to any seasonal maintenance.
If you have any concerns regarding a hatchling you have found or have any turtle related questions please contact Think Turtle at 647-606-9537.
Should you find a hatchling, check out the surrounding area for more. An exit hole from the nest will be apparent. Sometimes though not so easy to spot. If thereafter you are able to monitor a nest site located that has an exit hole more hatchlings may arrive a day or a few later. This year we had the last hatchling show up nine days later from when the nest initially began to hatch out. As is the case with snapping turtles at times laying upwards of 50 or more eggs where one hatchling or a few are spotted more may follow. Sometimes they hatch out in a group (safety in numbers) and sometimes they do not.
Nest protectors
If you are using a nest protector and hatchlings have emerged it is recommended that you leave the nest protector installed for at least a week up to a week and a half if you are able to. Some nests hatch out within hours and some can take several days. Please allow hatchlings to emerge from the nest on their timeline. Hatchlings on the bottom of the nest may be slower to emerge.
Painted turtles
Painted turtle hatchlings are known to often ‘overwinter.’ Meaning the hatchlings will stay in the nest cavity over the winter and emerge the in the spring.
Thank you for looking out for the Ontario turtles this turtle season. The individual and collective efforts that we as concern citizens engage in help turtles overcome various challenging they face and improves their chances of survival. This is an important contribution to species recovery efforts that helps to ensure future generations of turtles.
*************************
