Where some researchers develop an interest in herpetology purely by chance, Scott Gillingwater was born into it. Some of us actually wonder if he has a turtle shell growing underneath his shirt! By the age of 5, Scott was already involved in turtle rescue. Living in rural Southwestern Ontario, Scott found endless turtles to study in nearby wetlands, and was marking and measuring turtles and recording data while he was still in elementary school.

Sadly, Scott witnessed the systematic drainage of the wetlands that were his area of study; habitat loss that continues to occur across southern Ontario. Scott monitored turtles that remained in the few ponds that were not drained, and found the turtle population steadily declined. Adults were found hit on nearby roads, run over by tractors, predated by raccoons and any young were usually found decapitated by birds. This decline ended a few years later when every one of these turtles was gone. With the drainage of the wetlands came the dramatic extermination of all the turtles, frogs and other animals that depended on the wetland for survival.

Having witnessed this dramatic decline at such a young age, Scott was, and is, determined to better understand turtle species and to find ways to aid in their survival. After many years of personal interest, Scott got his big break when he was hired to conduct research on the Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle in 1994, at the age of 19. Ever since, Scott has been involved in research with all of Ontario’s turtles and several species of snakes,and has had the great fortune to be able to work with some of the most renowned herpetologists in Canada, including Dr. Ron Brooks at the University of Guelph and Bob Johnson at the Toronto Zoo. And it must be said that they were most fortunate to work with Scott! Scott attended Sir Sandford Fleming College to study wildlife research, and has also volunteered his services for various research endeavors throughout Ontario, the U.S. and Mexico

Scott is also very concerned about the Asian Turtle Crisis- most Asian turtle species are endangered and are being pushed to the brink of extinction because of habitat loss, and collection for sale in the Asian markets, usually for food. On any given day, tens of thousands of endangered turtles can be found in the markets. This is an international crisis and tragedy that the scientific community is trying desperately to solve. For more information: http://nytts.org/asianturtlecrisis.html

At present, Scott is a Species at Risk Biologist with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, and serves as Chair for Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle Recovery Team, Co-chair of the Queen Snake Recovery Team and is a member of several other turtle, snake and habitat recovery teams. Don’t expect to find him in an office during spring or summer though. You are most likely to find him up to his neck in mud, launching himself out of a canoe to catch a spiny softshell turtle, or traipsing through the woods in search of an Eastern Fox Snake or a Wood Turtle. Luckily Teresa, his partner, shares his passion for all things reptilian, and works as his research assistant. Scott and Teresa also run Turtle Homes Canada, an adoption service for non-native turtles and tortoises, where safe homes are located for chelonians in need.

Highlights of Scott’s research includes:

-Rare Reptile Research in the Thames River Watershed and Big Creek/Long Point National Wildlife Areas. Surveying the Thames River Watershed, Big Creek National Wildlife Area and Long Point National Wildlife Area for SAR reptiles. Various programs have been initiated for the species present in these locations and through mark-recapture programs, as well as various other research, the threats, habitat needs, populations, behaviour, movements and reproductive success of these reptiles will be identified. This work will provide some of the only information available on the natural history of these species in Canada.

-Research into the life history of a poorly understood flesh fly that, in its larval stage, depredates turtle eggs. This fly may be responsible for the destruction of large numbers of turtle eggs and may be contributing to the decline of turtles at risk

-Following the movements of softshell and spotted turtles via radio telemetry, to better understand seasonal movements and to assess critical habitat types.

-Conducting the first in-depth research program for the threatened Queen Snake in Canada, through the use of PIT tags and artificial gestation sites.