Working to protect Waterloo Region’s turtle hatchlings

Turtle hatchlings are getting a strong start in Waterloo Region. CTV’s Ashley Bacon shows us what it takes to put them back into their natural habitat.

You might have noticed an influx of turtle hatchlings along the Grand River or one of the many parks or trails across Waterloo Region.

rare Charitable Research Reserve is one group working to ensure the next generation of these reptiles get off to a swimming start.

Ontario is home to eight turtle species. All of them are listed as ‘at risk.’

“Turtles are a long-lived species, taking upwards of more than a decade to actually reach sexual maturity, which can be shocking to people,” said Smera Sukumar, the conservation science and stewardship director for Ontario Nature. “In order to give them the best chance of survival, these ‘head start’ programs are critical.”

According to Rosalind Snyder, rare’s conservation technician, the two most common turtles in Waterloo Region are painted and snapping turtles.

“Evolutionary speaking, they rely on bet hedging, which means they have a lot of babies every year, but not a lot of them will make it,” she explained.

Which is why the team at rare has been incubating eggs at their facility over the last few weeks.

Once they are released, hatchlings face a variety of threats in the community.

“The main risk is when the adults are being hit on roads or their habitats are being destroyed,” Snyder said. “Suddenly there’s no adults that are able to reproduce in the population and then, also when nests are at risk, when they are driven over, they’re destroyed, or they’re predated very quickly. Then there’s no little hatchlings able to survive.”

Saving the turtles

Hatchlings might need a little help finding water for the first time.

“By helping bring them to the water, you are increasing their chances of survival,” said Snyder.

Adult turtles, meanwhile, should only be moved in the direction they were already headed.

“You don’t actually know what their end destination is and it’s important that you continue to move them to where they’re actually trying to go,” suggested Sukumar.

She also shared her technique for handling larger snapping turtles.

“You can grab from the hind legs, where the shell meets her legs, so you can pick her up from her legs. You can even place one hand on her plastron, so on her tummy, and help her across the way.”