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Drivers advised to give turtles a 'brake'

Nature Conservancy of Canada provides tips on how to keep turtles safe
2022-06-24-SnappingTurtle
This photo shows one way to safely move a snapping turtle off the road.

NEWS RELEASE
NATURE CONSERVANCY OF CANADA
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The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is reminding motorists to watch for turtles braving busy roads to find mates and to get to nesting grounds.

The NCC is asking drivers to give turtles a “brake” by turning a keen eye to the threatened creatures who may be basking on the pavement or simply trying to cross the road.

This is an active period for turtles that are setting off from their usual habitats to find mates and nesting sites. The many at-risk species of turtle in Canada, like other reptiles, are cold-blooded, and often bask on gravel, sandy roadsides and warm asphalt. And while a turtle’s shell can protect it from predators, it’s no match for a motor vehicle. Every turtle lost in a vehicle collision has a significant domino effect for its entire species.

Turtles count on the survival of the adults, especially the females, in order to maintain population health. Turtles can take up to 25 years before reproducing, and their egg survival rate is very low. Approximately only two eggs out of 100 become adult turtles. A loss of one adult turtle is the loss of 20 years of development. Studies show that just a five per cent increase in annual mortality can put an entire population at risk of decline.

Turtle populations are listed as threatened or endangered in many provinces as they have diminished due to collisions with vehicles. The NCC encourages motorists to slow down when they see a turtle on the road and check to be sure they can safely steer around it.

To learn how to help a turtle cross the road, watch our video on turtle safety here.

In Ontario, where Blanding’s turtles are more endangered than pandas, all eight turtle species are at risk. In Quebec, five turtle species are provincially designated as threatened or vulnerable.

Three turtle species in Nova Scotia are at risk, including Blanding’s turtles, which can only be found in three areas. Wood turtles are listed as threatened in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, while snapping turtles are categorized as vulnerable/special concern.

“Turtles are in many ways the unsung heroes of our wetland ecosystems,” said Kristyn Ferguson, program director with the NCC. “They help keep wetlands clean and healthy by eating dead plants, insects and animals, and play the role of the wetland janitor.”

Tips and facts

  • To help a turtle safely cross the road, first make sure the road is safe for you to pull over and help. Put your safety first.
  • Move the turtle in the direction it was going. Otherwise it will likely try to cross again.
  • For turtles that hide their heads in their shells (like Blanding’s turtle and Midland painted turtle), simply pick the turtle up, gently holding it with both hands, supporting its belly and holding the top of its shell (the way you might hold a hamburger), and carry it across the road. Carry it close to the ground — you don’t want to drop it.
  • Snapping turtles can weigh as much as 34 kilograms and have heavy, spiked tails and massive, armoured shells. These turtles cannot hide their heads in their shells and have a dangerously sharp snout. They are large and grey. To move them and avoid injury to the turtle, lift them using the “handles” on either side of their tails on the back of their shells and “wheelbarrow” them across the road on their front legs. If you have a car matt or a shovel, carefully slide the turtle onto this and drag the matt or shovel across the road.
  • Once you are done moving the turtle, back away and let the turtle be, to avoid causing it stress.
  • Pushing or shoving turtles across the road with your feet or a stick is unadvisable. Their shells aren’t as thick underneath, and rough pavement can do a lot of damage.
  • Other threats to turtles include habitat loss, invasive species and illegal collection for the pet trade.

Status of COSEWIC-listed land turtle species in Canada

Species

Special concern

Threatened

Endangered

Extirpated

Blanding's turtle

 

 

ON, QC, NS

 

Eastern box turtle

 

 

 

ON

Eastern musk turtle

ON, QC

 

 

 

Eastern painted turtle

NB, NS, QC

 

 

 

Midland painted turtle

ON, QC

 

 

 

Northern map turtle

ON, QC

 

 

 

Pacific pond turtle

 

 

 

BC

Snapping turtle

MB, NB, NS, ON, QC, SK

 

 

 

Spiny softshell turtle

 

 

ON, QC

 

Spotted turtle

 

 

ON, QC

 

Western painted turtle

BC (Intermountain)

BC (Coastal)

 

 

Wood turtle

 

NB, NS, ON, QC

 

 

Loggerhead sea turtle (Atlantic Ocean)

 

 

NS, NB, NL, PEI

 

Leatherback sea turtle (Pacific and Atlantic)

 

 

BC, QC, NS, NB, NL, PEI

 

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