Watch out for baby turtles!!!
It’s that time of year again, baby turtles are hatching and beginning to move around in search of water. That means we need to be cautious and watch out for them on the roads! Sadly, thousands of turtles are killed by car each year while attempting to cross roadways. Many adult female turtles choose to lay their eggs in nests on road shoulders, which tend to have warmer microclimates and loose, gravelly or sandy soils, which is perfect for turtle nests. When hatchlings emerge from their nests around August to September, they may have to cross the road to get to the closest water body which puts them at risk of being run over by a vehicle. Turtles are long-lived animals and some species can take up to 25 years to reach sexual maturity. In addition, less than 1% of hatchlings make it to adulthood. Therefore, saving even one turtle can have a large impact on helping turtle populations thrive. You can help by being cautious and looking out for turtles when driving on roads at this time of year, and help them to cross the road safely. If you know of a turtle crossing hotspot, you can even order turtle crossing signs from Adopt-A-Pond and have them installed in that area. Every turtle saved is a chance at helping future generations of turtles survive!
Blanding’s turtle hatching from egg. Photo courtesy of Scott Gillingwater.
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For more information about Toronto Zoo’s conservation programs, visit:
http://www.torontozoo.com/conservation/ and http://www.torontozoo.com/FightingExtinction/
