Putting the brakes on turtle loss

Ontario is home to eight species of freshwater turtles, all of which are listed as at-risk. Turtle populations are sensitive. It can take up to 25 years for a female turtle to lay her first batch of eggs, so any loss of habitat is harmful to turtle reproduction. Unfortunately, we have lost over 70% of the wetlands turtles call home in southern Ontario. Increasingly, roads are being built through the few remaining wetlands. These factors make losing even one female turtle detrimental to maintaining fragile populations.

Road mortality is one of the leading causes of turtle population declines. Roads pose a double threat to our turtles. First, they are generally built through wetland complexes, forcing turtles to cross busy routes to feed and nest. Secondly, turtles like to nest in soft warm sands and gravels, not all that different from the shoulders of roads. This illusion of a prime nesting location alongside roads brings female turtles and their hatchlings in proximity to cars, further increasing hit likelihood.

Working with data from the  Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC) , we identified the top six areas with the deadliest roads for freshwater turtles in the province. Earthroots is calling on municipalities in these areas to mitigate turtle road mortality with the installation of wildlife underpasses along high-risk roads. We will be working with municipal councils to bring light to this issue and request the installation of wildlife underpasses in each of the highlighted areas.

Please feel free to learn more by exploring our interactive map below.

Learn more at  earthroots.org/turtles .

Support Earthroots and work like this at  earthroots.org/donate 

 _{Banner photo by Mathew Shwartz on Unsplash}