It’s turtle nesting season, and with six out of seven of Ontario’s native turtles at risk, officials are asking the public to help.
Turtles typically nest at the side of the road, and can easily be run over by passing vehicles.
Kelsey Moxley with Scales Nature Park says a turtle mother can carry up to 30 eggs and losing just one carrying mother is devastating. “If we lose even one female from the population from being hit by a car -- that has a massive impact on the number of turtles that she could potentially be laying in the future.”
Moxley says the turtles choose the dangerous shoulders of roads to nest because they are sandy and offer sunlight to help incubate their eggs.
The species is known to travel up to two kilometres between habitats, but one of the biggest hurdles for turtles is trying to cross the road safely, something the Conservation Authority says they’re working on with the creation of an eco-passage project – a fence to help redirect turtle and other wildlife from entering onto roadways.
“Since we put up the fence in 2016, we noticed an 81 percent decrease in turtle-road mortality,” says Kaitlyn Read with the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority.
Read says if you spot a turtle attempting to cross the road pick it up and gently take it to the other side. She says most turtles are safe, but if you’re worried about the larger snapping turtles, use a shovel or car mat to transport it.
If you spot a turtle in distress you can call the S.T.A.R.T. turtle hotline at 705-955-4284 or contact the Conservation Authority.
