Help Turtles Hatch Safely

Almost all the species of turtles on the Ottawa River are at risk of extinction but you can make a difference.

Written by Joe Ryan

Riverwatcher Howard Powles and his daughter spotted this baby snapping turtle on the bike path by the river in Aylmer this past weekend.  Snapping turtle hatchlings begin to emerge from their eggs between August and October and adults continue to be active in our watershed through November so keep an eye out on paths and roadways.
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If you spot a turtle trying to cross a road, the best thing you can do is carry it to the side of the road where it is headed and place it in the vegetation for cover and protection.
If you want to learn more about the turtles in our watershed, take a look at our Turtles-at-Risk fact sheet.
Want to help turtles in the Ottawa River watershed?
You can report your turtle sightings in Ontario to these web databases to help researcher track turtle distributions in the region.
In Quebec, the MFFP wants to know the locations (GPS/civic address) of any turtles crossing roadways. Locations and photos of turtles can be sent to daniel.toussaint@mffp.gouv.qc.ca or by telephone at 819 246-4827, poste 289.  This information will help identify key areas mortality and thus better protect turtles at risk or likely to be designated as threatened or vulnerable.

 

One response to “Help Turtles Hatch Safely”

  1. […] you live in Ottawa, beware of turtles hatchlings. They can be found until […]