Slow, Turtles!

Article courtesy of: CARCNET

Why did the turtle cross the road? To get to the other side.

It may seem silly, but it's the truth. Right now many turtles are moving from one marsh to another, to find food, locate a mate or to lay eggs. Historically this was no problem, but today turtles often must cross busy roads on their wanderings. The result is that hundreds maybe even thousands of turtles are killed every year.

"Traffic mortality is a serious issue for turtles," says Carolyn Seburn of the Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network. Ronald Brooks, a professor of biology at the University of Guelph agrees. "My view is that these animals are not going to survive if we don't prevent the roadkill problem."

There are many reasons why turtles are particularly vulnerable to traffic mortality. First of all, many of the turtles seen trying to cross roads are females looking for places to lay their eggs. Because turtles can live for decades, killing pregnant females not only removes reproductive adults from the population but it also removes all their potential future offspring. In addition, surviving turtles can't lay extra eggs to compensate for increased mortality, so once a population starts to decline it is difficult to reverse the trend.

What can drivers do? "It's important to watch the road carefully when you're driving," says Seburn, "particularly where the road comes near to wetlands and rivers. Remember that turtles don't move very quickly and their first response to danger is to pull into their shells. Turtles don't understand about cars, but drivers can act responsibly and avoid hitting a turtle."

In many locations in Ontario drivers can also watch for turtle crossing signs. These signs depicting a stylized turtle are the work of Turtle S.H.E.L.L. (Safety, Habitat, Education, Long Life), a non-profit group dedicated to the conservation of turtles. The signs have been posted at known crossing areas and they alert drivers that turtles may be crossing the road.

The Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network is a charitable organization dedication to ensuring the survival of Canada's native amphibians and reptiles. Recently it launched a major campaign to help reduce traffic mortality in turtles. The Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Mountain Equipment Co-op Environment Fund in accomplishing its goals. To find out more about turtles and the threats they face visit our website at www.carcnet.ca.