How to help an injured turtle … and more from the Turtle Conservation Centre

Aug 14, 2024

The Turtle Conservation Centre in Peterborough is a registered not-for-profit organisation, with a 6-member board of directors, and executive director, 3 part-time veterinarians, 8 other staff members and 5 summer students. It operates a turtle hospital and trauma centre, which admitted over 1900 turtles last year, as well as incubating 7100 eggs, and releasing 3400 turtles back to their home wetlands.

And it all started in 2000 when a homemade turtle crossing sign put up by a group of kids from Peterborough was destroyed by vandals. The kids organised and received permission from their local township to erect signs in the township, and then the county.

Out of this effort, Peterborough became a centre for turtle conservation and the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre was born. The centre is now called the Turtle Conservation Centre as they have expanded their focus to communities throughout Central and Eastern Ontario. 

The Conservation Centre is a core asset of the Turtle Conservation Network, a partnership with Parks Canada and a group of organisations across the province who are committed to turtle conservation. The  Queen’s University Biological Station on Opinicon Lake is one of those, as is Turtles Kingston, and there is one based in Tay Valley as well, OUR (Observing-Understanding-Rescuing) Turtles.

All of the turtle species in Ontario are on the “At Risk “ list according to COSSARO (the Committee on Status of Species at Risk in Ontario)  Of the 8 native species, the Eastern Musk, Northern Map, Painted and Snapping Turtles are listed only as “at risk”, meaning they may become threatened or endangered because of a combination of biological characteristics or identifiable threats. The Blanding's Turtle is listed as a “Threatened” species, meaning it is likely to become endangered if nothing is done to reverse the factors that are causing populations to decrease. The Spiny Softshell, Spotted, and Wood Turtles are all listed as endangered, as they face imminent extirpation or extinction.

One of the biggest risk factors faced by turtles is habitat loss. While turtles can be found in a variety of habitats: lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes and bogs; they are all wetland habitats. Canada is home to 25% of the world’s wetlands, but 70% of Canada’s wetlands have been lost through development, and this creates an immediate threat to turtle populations. Natural predation from raccoons and other animals that feed on turtle eggs, or turtles leaving the nest, has always been counteracted by the fact that once turtles reach adulthood, they have few natural predators, and can have long breeding lives to make up for the low breeding success rate.

Turtles are an old life form, over 200 million years old, predating dinosaurs, but between habitat loss, predation, the dangers of being struck by vehicles on roadways, and other factors, they are facing unprecedented risks.

The Turtle Conservation Centre is working to educate Ontario residents about the threats to turtles, and about actions that groups and individuals can take to help recover turtle populations. 

And, of course, they also work to save turtles who have been injured.

On the ontarioturtle.ca website there is a primer on how to help an injured turtle. 

It is reprinted below:

1. Carefully place the injured animal in a well-ventilated plastic container with a secure lid (turtles can climb!), and no water.
   Note: Most turtles can be picked up carefully with two hands. When handling snapping turtles keep a safe distance from their head as they will snap at you if they feel threatened. You may want to use a shovel or board to lift the turtle. Watch our video clip for more tips for handling turtles.
2. Note the location (road, major intersection, kilometer marker) where the turtle was found to ensure it can be released according to provincial regulations.
3. Call us at 705-741-5000. If we don’t answer, leave us a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
   Note: DO NOT EMAIL with information about an injured turtle. An injured animal needs medical attention as soon as possible.
4. Do not offer the turtle water or food, and do not try to treat the turtle in any way.
5. Wash your hands after handling the animal.
6. If you have to keep a turtle overnight, leave it in the well-ventilated container. Place it in a location that is dark, quiet, room temperature, and away from pets.

The Conservation Centre also handles turtle eggs, and have instructions about handling them on their website as well.

Important: Never disturb an intact nest! Not only is this illegal, but it can often lead to death of the eggs/hatchlings. If you have found a nesting turtle, or an intact turtle nest, DO NOT disturb it. Please see our section about turtle nests.

If you find eggs that have been accidentally dug up or otherwise disturbed, contact us as soon as possible!

1. Call us at 705-741-5000. If you have to leave a voicemail, we will get back to you as soon as possible
2. Note the location (coordinates, address, or nearest intersection) where the eggs were found to ensure they can be released according to provincial regulations.
3. Wait for our call-back. We don’t have the resources to send someone to the location of the nest. Instead, we’ll walk you through the process of properly and carefully handling and collecting the eggs.
4. Bring the eggs to us at 4-1434 Chemong Rd., Selwyn, ON. If it’s not possible for you to get them here, we have volunteer drivers all over the province who may be able to help.

The Centre is also interested in deceased turtles. Females sometimes still have viable eggs and the centre also can use data and tissue samples for research.

Here are the instructions when finding a recently deceased turtle.

If you have found a recently deceased turtle:

1. Place the turtle in a bin with no water.
2. Note the location (road, major intersections, kilometer marker) where the turtle was found. This will ensure hatchlings can be released according to provincial regulations, and the data we collect can be used accurately.
3. Call us at 705-741-5000
4. Wash your hands after handling the animal.

Drivers often see non-injured turtles on roadways, but the Conservation Centre says that, in cases where it is safe to do so, people can “simply help it across the road in the direction that it is going”

The Centre also recommends against digging up nests to protect the eggs, even if the nest is not in an ideal location. The eggs may be damaged and it is against the law to remove turtle eggs from a nest.

While the centre is located in Peterborough, they urge people from outside their area to call them at 705-741-5000 as they work with turtle response centres from across the province, often private clinics, or rehabilitators that have been trained in emergency treatment for turtles. They can direct you to the appropriate location.