How To Help Turtles In Spring

HOW TO HELP TURTLES IN SPRING

By Kelly Wallace

When turtles come out of brumation (hibernation) in early spring, they are sluggish, and their bodies are often cramped up by lactic acid buildup. They are not the robust turtles we watched head off to their winter habitat to brumate. It takes time for turtles to regain their depleted energy stores and optimal metabolism. To help with this, turtles will head for basking sites to soak up the sun’s warmth and increase their body temperature and metabolic rate, and with this comes more active turtles we can expect to see crossing roads and out and about.

Turtles Take To The Roads
Don’t Put Your Snow Shovel Away! As funny as it sounds, many people in rural communities and cottage country have a snow shovel in their vehicle from spring to autumn to assist turtles across the road if it is safe to stop. Some use this method because they are uncomfortable with hands-on techniques to help turtles. Other people find it an easy and reliable way to help a turtle out of harm’s way. A snow shovel can be used to gently scoop up a turtle and move it across the road or carefully guide a turtle across the road. Whether using a hands-on method or a snow shovel to assist a turtle across a road, “ALWAYS” move the turtle in the direction it is headed, even if it makes no sense to you. Turtles are aquatic animals, and if they are out of the water, it is for a reason; rerouting a turtle will only cause the turtle to end up back on the road, and this second time, the turtle may not be fortunate enough to get assistance.

If you stop to help a turtle, please do not be tempted to relocate it to your idea of a better place. Turtles have a small home range and should be left where they are found. Their survival depends on it.

Many turtles crossing roads from April to early June will be males searching for mates. Egg-laden females will seek to nest three to six weeks after mating. This varies and sometimes doesn’t involve mating. The female snapping turtle can store viable sperm for three years to fertilize eggs even when she does not mate. Nesting typically occurs from mid-May to mid-July, with June being the peak month, and is most notable when there is a significant increase in the number of turtles crossing roads. However, turtles are known to cross roads anytime between April and October.

To help prevent vehicle strikes, we ask motorists to obey speed limits, avoid distracted and aggressive driving, keep their eyes on the road, watch for wildlife crossing the road, and take responsibility for a turtle if they hit it with their vehicle. Ontario has a turtle hospital.

Injured Turtles
The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC) is home to Ontario’s turtle hospital. The OTCC admits injured turtles from anywhere in Ontario. They provide medical care at “no” charge and have Turtle taxi Volunteers to assist with transportation if the finder cannot drive the injured turtle to the OTCC or the nearest first responder. Should you find an injured turtle, please call the OTCC at 705-741-5000 when you are with the turtle.

If you are interested in finding out what is required to be a Turtle Taxi volunteer, e-mail volunteer@ontarioturtle.ca. OTCC will furnish you with the necessary information.

Should you stop to assist a turtle across the road or retrieve an injured turtle, it is imperative to ensure your safety, your passenger’s safety, and other motorists’ safety; please make “SAFETY YOUR #1 PRIORITY!”

Spring Hatchlings
A fascinating aspect of spring is discovering turtle hatchlings that remained in their nest last autumn, known as “overwintering,” and are now emerging to experience the great outdoors for the first time. Overwintering is typical of Painted, Map, and Blanding turtle hatchlings, but other hatchling species will also resort to this survival tactic. The success rate in these cases will vary due to the harsh winter and some turtle species being less resilient under such conditions.
Remember that if you find one hatchling, there could be more. Watch out for low-to-the-ground turtle species and hatchlings when mowing lawns or doing yard work.

Help Hatchlings To Water
If you find a hatchling, take it to the nearest body of water. Once there, find an area with shallow water, vegetation that will serve as a protective covering, and an entry point from which the hatchling can enter the water independently. Turtle hatchlings will spend much of their early years hiding until they have gained some size and girth and are not so vulnerable to predators.

If there are multiple hatchlings to release, spread them around the body of water in shallow water with vegetation. A general guideline is 10 feet apart. This will reduce the chances of predators locating clusters of hatchlings and increase the number of hatchlings that survive.
Thank you for helping at-risk species when they need it most.

To contact the author, e-mail thinkturtle@yahoo.com or visit the Think Turtle Conservation Initiative website at http://www.thinkturtle.ca

Magazine Article (Print): Wallace, K. (2024, April). How to Help Turtles in Spring.
Apsley Backroads, p. 8. https://apsleybackroads.com

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