Saving turtles

Mary Johnston | Jun 27, 2018

Recently, while travelling on the Flinton Road, I swerved to miss a little hump of a turtle on the road. I stopped and checked her out and was horrified to see that she was very badly injured. 25% of her shell had been shattered into half a dozen fragments and there was bright red flesh clearly visible. I checked for signs of life and was relieved to see her eyes wide open. She deserved a chance.

My husband & I and our three dogs set off to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre's Trauma Hospital, close to Peterborough. She was given pain meds and put into a bin containing other injured turtles. We couldn't help noticing that the emergency phone was constantly in use responding to similar calls. Our little turtle was #227 for the month of May.

Did she make it?

Next morning, having survived the night, she had surgery to bolt her fragmented shell back together. Miraculously, she did not have life-threatening internal injuries, and when fully-healed, will be released into a safe habitat. While in surgery, her eggs were harvested and are being incubated at the OTTC.

Lessons learned:

Please slow down and, if safe to do so, swerve to avoid hitting these amazing creatures as they respond to their powerful compulsion to reproduce. If you can do so safely, please help a turtle cross the road, always in the same direction to which they were headed. Snapping turtles cannot reproduce until they are about 20 years old; the odds of a hatchling's survival to age 20 are 1 in 100 or less. Carry clean, old work gloves and have a clean plastic bin available to safely transport a turtle (a shovel or board held very low to the ground may provide confidence in handling). All turtles are utterly defenseless against motor vehicles, ATVs, pets (especially dogs), motor bikes, boat props, etc. They can only move slowly on land. An injured or traumatized turtle will often freeze; expect turtles to hiss or make a sound when approached. Turtles have long claws for "hustling" along and it’s possible to get a slight scratch when handling one. Always wash your hands ASAP after direct contact. Turtles can be easily picked up by holding firmly but gently with both hands at its waist area or slightly lower. Snapping turtles are best picked up from the rear by holding the rear of the shell with one hand and sliding the other hand under its tail towards the belly area; like sliding a spatula under a burger. Snappers can't reach underneath their shells. When perceiving a threat, Snappers will hiss and attempt to intimidate by opening their jaws very wide! Reality check: this is "truly" disconcerting, but remember, it's just a frightened Mama trying to protect herself and her prospective young. Do not give food or water to an injured turtle. Keep safe, secure and secluded with ample breathing holes in a covered, fastened box.

Check out the non-profit Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre website for more invaluable first aid information and expert advice: www.ontarioturtle.ca or call 1-705–741-5000. Feel free to visit and see for yourselves the extraordinary work done to save, assist and rehabilitate injured wild turtles in Southern Ontario. It's a wonderful day trip for cottagers and visitors. OTTC #4-4143 Chemong Road, Selwyn ON K0J 6X2. At this time of the year, take note of the Turtle Crossing signs, and please slow down on or around turtle habitats and wetlands.

Mary Johnston, Cloyne, Ontario