GBA 2022 - Summer Update

W ith the warm weather, long days, and changing of the seasons, many turtle species are on the move in May and June. Midland painted, Blanding’s, northern map, eastern musk, spotted, and snapping are all species of turtles that you can find living in the UNESCO biosphere region along eastern Georgian Bay and its inland lakes. Taking Care of Turtles LANDS AND FORESTS

≥ DO NOT remove from the area you found them. Turtles rely on the ponds and wetlands that are familiar to them. ≥ Move the turtle in the direction it was going or is facing. ≥ If you are uncomfortable lifting a snapping turtle, use a car mat or shovel. For more information, watch the Toronto Zoo’s video, How to Help a Snapping Turtle Cross the Road here: https://bit. ly/3k10Dsw . Found an injured turtle? Contact the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre in Peterborough at 705-741-5000. For more information, visit their website here: www.ontarioturtle.ca . It’s helpful during turtle season to have a turtle trauma kit in your car. This can be as simple as having a well-ventilated plastic container with a secure lid (turtles can climb). NEVER transport injured turtles in water or offer them food. If you find it hard to tell if a turtle is injured, the Canadian Wildlife Federation guidelines state that you should assume a turtle is injured if: ≥ It is unresponsive (it can be hard to determine if a turtle has died so err on the side of caution) ≥ It has head or limb injuries, or cracks to its shell ≥ It is found upside down and is unable to right itself, which may indicate dehydration and overheating Turtle trauma kits are available from the GBB by donation. Contact Tianna at biologist@gbbr.ca to request one for pick up in Parry Sound or Honey Harbour. Have a turtle nesting on your property? Protect the eggs with a turtle nest protector. This will be difficult with so many natural predators, but you can build one with the instructions provided by the Canadian Wildlife Federation: https://bit.ly/3v57qIf . Record your sightings Become a part of a global network of citizen scientists using the free iNaturalist app. Simply take photos of flora and fauna and upload them to the GBB project which has now exceeded 2,500 species identified. Your information will help inform conservation efforts throughout the UNESCO Biosphere region. Add your observations to the iNaturalist project here: https://bit.ly/3Orl0Nv .

All turtles in Canada are at risk due to loss of wetlands, road mortality, nest predation, poaching and climate change. All of these factors combine to make it incredibly difficult for turtles to replace themselves in the wild,

A Blanding’s turtle emerges from an egg.

which is what they need for a steady population. For example, of approximately 1,400 eggs laid, only a single egg typically hatches and reaches reproductive age. This timeline would take a snapping turtle about 60 years of egg laying to replace itself. Turtles often use the side of the road as nesting habitats, increasing the chances of female turtles being hit by a passing car. As a result, turtle populations along roadways in some areas have been found to be primarily male. Many studies of turtle populations around roadways have found that even small but ongoing mortality of turtles on roads could result in steady population declines, due to their life history of delayed maturity – some take up to 20 years before they can reproduce. Here are four easy ways that you can help turtles in the Georgian Bay Biosphere region. Remember to always wash or sanitize your hands after handling the animal.

How did the turtle cross the road? One of the biggest threats facing turtles is traffic. What to do: ≥ Always be aware of road traffic. Only attempt to help the turtle if it is safe to do so and you feel comfortable handling them.

A nesting snapping turtle observed on a road survey.

Photos: Georgian Bay Biosphere

www.georgianbay.ca

GBA UPDATE Summer 2022

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