Apr 12, 2012


by Steve Blight

The warming temperatures of April trigger renewed life in the lakes, rivers and ponds in our part of the world. After months under ice, Ontario’s largest species of turtle, the Common Snapping Turtle, is cued by the thaw to come out of hibernation and begin another year.

Unlike many other Ontario turtles, snappers spend almost all of their time in water – so much so that their upper shell (termed a carapace) is often covered in moss – hence the name “mossback” that these turtles are sometimes known as. They can be found across southern Ontario and beyond, where they spend their lives in shallow, weedy, mud-bottomed water bodies. Snapping turtles don’t seem too fussy about what they eat – plants, dead animals, and whatever small live animals they can catch. Playing an important role as part of nature’s garbage disposal system, scientists believe the snapper has been around for 90 million years without changing very much – clearly this creature has had a good run!

Snappers can get quite big – as much as 10 kg (22 lbs) with a carapace measuring 35 cm (about 14 inches) for a large mature male. Females of the same age are generally smaller. They can also live a very long time – one scientist has been tracking the same female in Algonquin Park for over 40 years, and estimates that it may be over 100 years old!

Breeding comes late for snappers – females begin to lay eggs in their late teens. They make up for this late start by being able to lay large clutches of eggs for a very long time – 40 to 50 years or even more if they are lucky to survive this long. The downside is that very, very few of the eggs laid even hatch, let along grow up to breeding age. The 100 year-old Algonquin Park turtle has laid about 1500 eggs yet not one has managed to get out of the nest unless it had help from people. Snapper eggs are prized by skunks, mink, raccoons, foxes and a host of other creatures that share their habitat.

People cause their share of troubles for snapping turtles as well. Cars, hunters and poachers all take their toll on breeding age adults. Females in particular are at risk when they roam roads looking for the perfect sand-and-gravel areas in which to dig their nests. Each year across Ontario hundreds of females are killed by cars – unfortunately sometimes even deliberately. Every year my wife and I stop our vehicle to hurry wandering snappers off local roads. I am always reluctant to pick up large snappers for fear of getting a nasty bite, so I usually use a stout stick to push and prod them to safety. Some sources suggest picking them up by the base of their tails, but other sources strongly advise against this technique because it can result in severe injury to the spine of large turtles. To be safe, I go with the stick.

Scientists are gathering data indicating that snapping turtle populations are in decline and their range shrinking across the province. For this reason, the snapping turtle is now listed under both the Ontario and federal species at risk laws. Despite its status as a species in decline and officially at risk, the snapping turtle is still legally hunted across the province.

There are things we can all do to help ensure that snappers continue to emerge from their watery lairs every April for many years to come.

Help reduce road mortality by watching for turtles on local roads and helping them cross when it is safe to do so. Move them in direction in which they are facing, no matter what the habitat looks like.

Never move a nesting female turtle!

Preserve natural wetlands, creeks and shoreline vegetation, as these provide critically important habitat for most amphibian and turtle species.

Discourage activities in your community that are detrimental to reptile and amphibian populations, such as wetland destruction, excessive use of pesticides and off-trail ATV use.

Never remove native reptiles or amphibians from the wild.

Report any possible signs of poaching to your local OMNR or a conservation officer by calling 1-877-TIPS-MNR (1-877-847-7667). Lines attached to sticks that have been left along a shoreline are a sign of turtle poaching.

Please feel free to report any observations to Lorraine Julien at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or Steve Blight at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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