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This post was written by guest blogger Sean Feagan. While Indiana Jones was not a fan of snakes , there is a lot to appreciate about reptiles. Canada’s reptiles are a varied bunch in terms of their appearance, life history and ecology. The three main groups, snakes, lizards and turtles, all have bony shells, scaly skin and an ectothermic metabolism, which means that unlike us, their body temperature is largely determined by the external environment. While some reptiles lay soft-shelled “leathery” eggs some are viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young ones. Canada has 49 species of reptiles and the Canadian Herpetological Society has a great overview of each species on its website. Unfortunately, many are either imperiled or… read more →
This blog is written by guest blogger Anuja Kapoor. Slow and steady wins the race…at least where turtles are concerned. A turtle crisis was declared in Ontario this summer after an alarming number of injured turtles were admitted to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Center for rehabilitation. Officials at the trauma facility reported operating beyond their carrying capacity with close to 800 turtles in recovery. While predation poses a threat, turtles remain especially vulnerable to road mortality, habitat destruction and illegal poaching in Ontario. Many of the province’s turtles are also long-lived (taking up to 20 years to reach maturity), the death of even one adult can significantly affect species survival. Seven out of the eight native turtle species in Ontario are… read more →
This blog is written by guest blogger Tim O’Connor. How did the turtle cross the road? The answer, unfortunately, is very slowly and dangerously due to the speed of passing vehicles with distracted drivers. The turtle species that occur in Ontario have existed relatively unchanged for 40 million years! Of the eight species of turtles currently in Ontario, seven are at risk! They need our help if we are to continue to co-habitat with these silent neighbours. A new approach to assisting turtles has emerged over recent years, Turtle Tunnels. On a recent trip to the amazing Presqu’ile Provincial Park on the north shore of Lake Ontario we drove over a white grate in the road that immediately captured my attention… read more →
The Ontario Court of Appeal has granted leave to hear the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists’ case for Blanding’s Turtles threatened by a wind energy project . This is the latest update from an ongoing legal battle over Prince Edward County’s south shore. The Court of Appeal will be deciding whether Ostrander Point GP can put a wind farm in endangered turtle habitat. This case will represent a landmark decision in Ontario environmental law. “It’s unfortunate that this even needs to be an issue,” says Stephen Hazell, the executive director of Nature Canada. “It is of course laudable that the Ontario government is pushing for renewable energy development. But the fact is, these projects simply cannot be green if companies… read more →
Get to know some of the species at risk in the Lac Deschênes IBA with the Species Spotlight, aka “Sp-Spot”. Today meet the: Northern Map Turtle Scientific Name: Graptemys geographica SARA Status: Special Concern; Ontario: Special Concern; Quebec: Vulnerable Taxonomic Group: Reptile Size: Males are much smaller than females. Males typically measure 9 to 15.9 cm in length, while females are 18 to 27.3 cm in length. The head of the female is also proportionally larger than the head of the male. The northern map turtle is an aquatic species that prefers the clear waters of large rivers or lakes. The carapace of this turtle is decorated with light yellow or tan lines that resemble the contour lines on a… read more →
Get to know some of the species at risk in the Lac Deschênes IBA with the Species Spotlight, aka “Sp-Spot”. Today meet the: Common Snapping Turtle Scientific Name: Chelydra serpentina SARA Status: Special Concern; Ontario: Special Concern Taxonomic Group: Reptile Size: Typically between 20.3 and 36 cm long, although the largest individual on record was 49.4 cm long. Snapping turtles can inhabit any permanent freshwater bodies. They are omnivorous: they eat fish, mollusks, insects, birds, and even other reptiles and carrion. They also consume a large amount of vegetation, although they might simply be accidentally ingesting plant material while consuming other prey. Snapping turtles are ambush predators: they slowly crawl along the bottom or sit motionless waiting for their prey… read more →
Get to know some of the species at risk in the Lac Deschênes IBA with the Species Spotlight, aka “Sp-Spot”. Today meet the: Eastern Musk Turtle Scientific Name: Sternotherus odoratus SARA Status: Threatened; Ontario: Threatened; Quebec: Threatened Taxonomic Group: Reptile Size: Typically between 5.1 and 11.5cm long, although the largest individual on record was 13.7 cm long. The musk turtle is one of the smallest species of turtles in North-America. It has two light yellow stripes on each side of its head, and barbels on the chin and the throat. The carapace (the upper shell) of the musk turtle is smooth and its color can vary amongst individuals between olive green, brown, and almost black. The plastron (the shell breastplate)… read more →
Sarah Kirkpatrick-Wahl is the Species At Risk Intern at Nature Canada. Sarah is starting a new blog series , where every week she will be Get to know some of the species at risk in the Lac Deschênes IBA with the “Species Spotlight”, aka “Sp-Spot”. Today meet the: Blanding’s Turtle. Scientific Name: Emydoidea blandingii Federal SARA Status: Threatened; Ontario: Threatened; Quebec: Threatened Taxonomic Group: Reptiles Size: Shell size up to 27 cm in length The Blanding’s Turtle is easily recognisable with its bright yellow lower jaw, throat and plastron (lower shell). It is a medium sized turtle with a uniquely domed shell. Blanding’s Turtles are usually found in shallow freshwater such as large wetlands and shallow lakes, but sometimes travel… read more →