You Can Help Ontario's Turtles

Become a member:

Like most volunteer organizations, the KTTC is operating on a very limited budget. Funds are desperately needed to purchase equipment and to develop programs such as radio tracking of released turtles. We can't do it without you! Please fill out a membership application, or purchase a membership online, to help us continue our work.

Members will receive a newsletter updating them on the operations of the KTTC. Most importantly members will be part of a team dedicated to the conservation of an important and vulnerable species.

Donate to the KTTC:

Your gift can help us purchase medical treatment, tanks, food, and supplies. You can safely donate through our account at the CanadaHelps.org website. We are a registered Canadian charity so you will receive a tax receipt when you donate to the KTTC.

Volunteer with the KTTC:

You can help turtles in Ontario by helping the KTTC. Our volunteer positions range from helping out at an event, outreach work, marketing, to being on the board of directors. Occasionally we have openings for Wildlife Assistants, with Dr. Sue Carstairs (DVM).

You can look at our most curent volunteer opportunities at fourinfo.com. Just search fourinfo.com for "kawartha turtle".

Report your turtle sightings:

The Ontario Turtle Tally is a database established by the Adopt-a-Pond program at the Toronto Zoo, to monitor the health of turtle populations. They need data! Please report your turtle sightings to the Ontario Turtle Tally webpage.

You can also report turtle sightings to the provincial database of the Natural Heritage Information Centre. The NHIC also allows you to submit sightings of other reptiles at risk. These two organizations share their data, though, so just report it to one!

Help turtles cross the street:

Nesting females use their long-term memory to find the same nesting site year after year. They will take the same route regardless of what dangers await them. If you see a turtle on the road, if it is safe for you, gently move her in the direction she is going!

Let turtles lay their eggs:

Every summer we receive phone calls about children harassing turtles that were likely trying to nest.

Children who see a turtle are usually quite excited. It is only natural to want to study them up close... but please DON’T PICK THEM UP!! These ladies have one thing on their minds: laying eggs. They don’t want to be frightened or handled by well-meaning people.

Turtles are very vulnerable when they leave the safety and security of the water. If they are disturbed they may leave the nesting site without laying their eggs. They may return another day to try again. If turtles are repeatedly disturbed they may simply give up without deposit their eggs. These turtles risk becoming eggbound (unable to pass eggs) and can die.

If you find a turtle, watch it from a respectful distance. The turtle will be able to deposit her eggs safely, and you will be able to witness an event that has been happening for hundreds of millions of years!

Give the babies a chance:

If female turtle makes it to her nesting site and successfully deposits her eggs, her offspring have a 1% chance of surviving to breeding age. That means 100 eggs need to be laid to make one adult turtle.

Raccoon populations are 20 times greater than they were earlier this century. Raccoons and healthy populations of skunks, crows, gulls and other predators, dig up most nests and eat the eggs.

You can help protect new nests by lightly sweeping the surface of the nests or temporarily covering them with a board for the first few days. It is important to uncover nests early on so they can reach a normal temperature. You can physically protect nests with wire mesh but you must make sure that the babies can get out when they hatch.

Buy a puppy or a kitten:

Cars are not the only cause of population declines in Ontario turtle species.

Illegal collecting of Ontario's native turtles, including Wood and Spotted turtles, has decimated these populations in Ontario. Sadly their future is looking very grim.

Turtles are long lived and hard to care for properly in captivity. The release of pet Red-eared Sliders into Ontario waters has introduced this species into Ontario wetlands. These pets-gone-wild are displacing already stressed populations of Ontario turtles.

Research your pet turtle's needs: If you must keep turtles as pets, do not buy Wood turtles or Spotted turtles.

The care for each different turtle or tortoise species varies greatly. Care books and guides that you can purchase are often dated and inaccurate - there have been tremendous advances made in reptile husbandry in the past few years. Even the most helpful store clerk can not possibly tell you everything you need to know about your turtle in a five-minute conversation! Check out the Tortoise Trust website for well-researched articles and information on turtle husbandry and conservation, or contact the Ontario Herpetological Society.