Turtles in Trouble: True or false? Turtles were on the earth long before dinosaurs. True!

They may have survived the ice age but today many turtles are in danger of becoming extinct. The main threats to turtles are: loss of habitat, pollution, the illegal pet trade, commercial fishing practices, automobiles, and hunting.

Habitat = Home One type of habitat is a wetland - a perfect home for turtles, frogs and hundreds of other species. Many species are being squeezed out of their habitats to make room for our homes, stores, factories and roads.

Painted Turtles Bask on a Log Photo: Michael Leveille

Think a turtle would make a great pet?

Think again. Turtles are often collected, illegally, for the pet trade and over-collection has caused many turtles to become endangered. If you like turtles, try to spot them in the wild - or get a better view at a zoo. Canada’s amazing Toronto Zoo is home to more than 10 species of turtles.

Crossing the Road

Like many other turtles, the mother snapping turtle leaves her home in the water in search of a dry, sandy nesting site. Once she’s laid her eggs and buried them, she returns to the water. As soon as baby turtles hatch, they too head for a source of water. Too often female turtles and baby turtles die trying to cross roads to get to water.

A turtle the size of a car?

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In Canada, the leatherback can be found off the coasts of all the maritime provinces as well as off the coasts of Newfoundland and British Columbia.

The leatherback sea turtle has been known to reach a length of 8 feet and a weight of 2000 pounds - making it roughly the length and weight of a Smart Car.  The leatherback is the largest of all turtle species. It also dives the deepest and travels the farthest of any turtle.

Tough as it is, this species is endangered world wide. In fact, 6 of the 7 sea turtle species are listed as endangered or critically endangered. Why? Their meat and eggs have been over-hunted. Coastal nesting habitats have been disturbed and destroyed. Sea turtles are caught in fishing nets and snagged by "long lines". Pollution is a threat.

Want to help sea turtles? Don’t release helium baloons into the air. Avoid using plastic bags. (Many sea turtles die from injesting plastics that they mistake for food.)

How old do you need to be to help species at risk? Students of Rollin’ Acres independent school near Peterborough, Ontario were between the ages of 4 and 10 when they decided to lend a helping hand to turtles. The students were very concerned when they realized that many turtles heading to and from a nearby wetland were being hit by cars. Determined to raise money to put up turtle crossing signs, the children held a variety of fundraising events from a bakesale,to a hike-a-thon.  The signs let drivers know to use caution on roads frequented by turtles. Kids 4 Turtles raised over $4,000  - enough to put up 42 turtle crossing signs around the county! That was the year 2002. Imagine the children’s shock when in 2007, the county council voted to remove the turtle crossing signs (along with any other signs not featured in the Ontario Driver’s Manual). An online petition quickly gathered over 1,000 signatures in favour of keeping the signs. Members of Kids 4 Turtles also spoke to the county council about the importance of maintaining the signs. The kids were victorious! The council overturned its decision and the original 42 signs stayed in place. Kids 4 Turtles is credited as the inspiration for the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre, an organization devoted to saving injured native turtles and releasing them back into their natural habitat. Where did Kids 4 Turtles get the design for their signs? Visit another great Ontario turtle rescue organization - Turtle Shell Tortue – to find out more about this powerful road sign.

Helping Turtles

Many programs are in place across Canada to help turtles. The wood turtle  - an endangered species in Ontario, needs all the help it can get. Luckily, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and the Ministry of Natural Resources have been working together to establish protected nesting sites for wood turtles. A protected nesting site is designed to keep eggs safe from predators such as racoons and skunks.  To help keep human predators out, site locations are kept secret!

Adult Female Wood Turtle	Photo: Ryan M. Bolton

A Cool Trick! By stomping their feet on the ground to mimic rainfall, wood turtles try to lure earthworms out of the ground for a yummy snack.

Adult Male Wood Turtle	Photo: Ryan M. Bolton

The Skunk of the Turtle World
The common musk turtle is also known as the stinkpot turtle. Why? When it’s startled, it emits a very unpleasant musky odor!
	Juvenile Stinkpot Turtle	Photo: Ryan M. Bolton

To play our Ultimate Turtle Survival game, click here

Celebrate World Turtle Day – May 23