A news release issued Wednesday by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) offered some helpful tips for motorists who encounter turtles want to help them cross the road to get to the other side.
“Turtles are not just adorable, they’re an important part of wetland ecosystems,” said Kristyn Ferguson, NCC program director, in the release. “They play the role of the wetland janitor by helping keep wetlands clean and healthy by eating dead plants, insects and animals.”
The NCC recommends that motorists slow down when a turtle is spotted on the road, carefully steering around it when possible.
There are some very specific ways concerned citizens can assist the at-risk species to safely reach the other side of the road.
Full text of the news release follows:
Many people may feel a bit like turtles this summer — eager to soon safely emerge from our shells and get back to enjoying the world. For humans, this might mean masking up and swapping sweatpants for going-out clothes. For turtles, it means braving busy roads to find mates and get to their nesting grounds.
As we all emerge from our dens and hit the road on new adventures, wildlife sightings — and collisions with vehicles — are likely to involve turtles. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is asking motorists to give turtles a break by keeping a keen eye out for the threatened creatures who may be basking on the pavement or simply trying to cross the road.
Spring 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 turtles in Canada, like other reptiles, are cold-blooded, so basking on gravel, sandy roadsides or warm asphalt feels good on cool spring days. And while a turtle’s shell can protect it from predators, it’s no match for a car. Every turtle lost in a vehicle collision has a significant domino effect for its entire species.
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. To maintain their numbers within a population, turtles count on the survival of the adults, especially the females. Studies show that just a five per cent increase in annual mortality can put an entire population at risk of decline.
“Turtles are not just adorable, they’re an important part of wetland ecosystems,” said Kristyn Ferguson, NCC program director. “They play the role of the wetland janitor by helping keep wetlands clean and healthy by eating dead plants, insects and animals.”
Turtle deaths are a major issue in some parts of the country. In Ontario, all eight turtle species are at risk, and Blanding’s turtles are endangered.
NCC recognizes the precarious status of turtles in Ontario and is working to conserve and restore their wetland habitats, which are threatened by many factors, including phragmites. Canada’s worst invasive reed grass, phragmites, destroys turtle nesting sites and forms barriers to turtle movement. Restoration projects like those at Long Point, in Norfolk County, and in the Minesing Wetlands, near Barrie, are vital to ensuring that vulnerable turtles can survive.
NCC encourages motorists to slow down when they see a turtle on the road and make sure they can safely steer around it. To learn how to help a turtle cross the road, watch our video on turtle safety here. People are also encouraged to submit any wildlife sightings to iNaturalist.org.
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 kg 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.
