Winter 2009 Newsletter
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Our Turtles Need a New Space!
Although it will be months before turtles stir from their winter slumber to be seen once again in our wetlands – and on our roadways - the KTTC is busy planning to move for the second time.
In this issue:
Our Turtles Need a New Space!
Volunteers Needed
Spotlight on the Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
Winter Slumber
Kids for Turtles Environmental Education
Thank you to Justine and Kazia!
Thank you to Goldbutton Studio!
2009 Calendar Campaign a Success!
Australia’s Bum-breathing Turtle Gets a Helping Hand
Rehabilitation Centre Development Workshop
T-Shirt Contest
Our Turtles Need a New Space!
Although it will be months before turtles stir from their winter slumber to be seen once again in our wetlands – and on our roadways - the KTTC is busy planning to move for the second time.
What are we looking for?
We would like to thank our very generous landlords at Burman Fellows Group and Classy Chassis and Cycles. Their very kind contribution has led to the rehabilitation / release of over 100 native turtles! Their generosity continues as they have offered to help us move and re-wire our future home!
A new centre is a big step, but also an exciting opportunity. The only catch is that we need to be set up and ready to go before any turtles need our help this coming spring. If you would like to help us find a new space please email us at info@kawarthaturtle.org or call Jack (Riverside Park and Zoo Director) at 705-748-9301 ext.2303.
Volunteers Needed
The KTTC is looking for volunteers to help us expand our outreach program. In addition to raising awareness about the work of the KTTC, the committee will focus on educating the public about the status and ecological role of turtles native to Ontario. Educating the public is essential to reducing road mortality, assisting in the recovery of turtles native to Ontario, and to promoting turtle habitat protection and stewardship.
Volunteers are needed to help out at special events, write for the newsletter, update web content, design new promotional products, and a whole lot more. If you are interested in joining the committee or helping with other outreach activities please contact Gina at info@kawarthaturtle.org.
Spotlight on the Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
By Rebecca Dolson
The Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre would like to pay homage this month to the Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina). In 2008, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) upgraded the Snapping Turtle to a species of 'special concern'.
This decision reflects current estimates of the Snappers range and abundance, in addition to its life history characteristics. For example, Snappers are long lived (it is thought Snappers could live to be 150!). Also, most female Snappers do not reach sexual maturity until at least 11 years old, and this is often an under-estimate. Their longevity and late age of maturity suggests that this species is very vulnerable to disturbance. So COSEWIC's decision to upgrade the status of this historical Canadian species is an important proactive step.
So what makes a turtle a Snapping turtle? Aside from being one of the most prehistoric looking animals in our Ontario landscape, they are also our largest reptile. Brownish in colour, they can reach over 50 pounds and 36 cm long. Their carapace (top shell) is serrated giving a dangerously pointy appearance reminiscent of dinosaurs! They have long claws on sturdy legs, and a jaw that can pack a powerful bite. Snapping turtles, unlike most turtles, have a reduced shell and cannot
protect themselves by pulling their head and legs into their shell. They have no natural predators in the water, but on land must protect themselves from predators the only way they can – by snapping. It is best to admire a Snapping turtle from a good distance.
Snappers prefer to live in swamps, weedy lakes, and backwater river areas, with lots of vegetation and a thick muddy bottom. Snapping turtles are both scavengers and predators, playing a significant ecological role by consuming detritus (decaying material), aquatic plants, fishes, tadpoles and frogs. Watch for them basking near the surface of bogs and swamps in early spring. The Snappers bask (lay for long periods in the sun) in order to warm themselves when they are cold. Turtles are ectotherms, meaning that they do not regulate the temperature of their bodies and so basking keeps them warm. In the winter, Snapping turtles avoid the cold by hibernating in the mud bottom of their swamp or river. They dig into the mud in early October and remain there until the following Spring (see Winter Slumber by Laurie Kryshka below for more details).
Breeding in Snapping turtles takes place in early spring (May) and occasionally throughout the summer. Females migrate to their preferred nesting grounds in early June and deposit 25-40 eggs in a nest. Nesting sites are typically found within 100 m of the shore in loose gravel-sand substrates, on gentle slopes. These well-drained substrates allow water and oxygen to move through the nest, helping the eggs develop. These sites are usually near roadways. A female that grew for at least 11 years before mating and laying eggs may be killed on the road the first time she looks for a nesting location. One study (Haxton et al. 2005) showed an annual road mortality rate of 30.5% for Snapping turtles, of which 24% were females.
Even if a female reaches a nesting site and lays eggs, between 20 and 100% of these nests can be dug up and the eggs eaten by raccoons and skunks. Many hatchlings are also eaten after hatching on their way to the water, or are picked off by predators in the water while they are still small. The sex of a baby snapping turtle is not genetically predetermined as in humans; turtle’s sex is temperature depen ent. The temperature of the nest influences how the eggs develop; at high and low temperatures female baby snapping turtles develop, while in moderate temperatures, males develop. Climate change threatens to alter the sex ratio of many organism that rely on temperature dependent sex determination, including turtles. Too few males or
females is not good for any population, especially long lived and slow responding species like the Snapping turtle.
Other threats include urban expansion and habitat loss; for example, when a wetland is filled in for housing developments. The Snappers diet has also given them a bad reputation. On rare occasions Snappers will eat small ducklings, goslings, and cygnets from the water surface when there is no other food available. For these reasons Snappers can be misunderstood and mistreated or killed by some misinformed people. The Snapping Turtle is also listed as a game species in Ontario. A valid Ontario Sport or Conservation fishing license allows a person to take up to two Snappers a day in season and possess a limit of five.
Given the immense challenges facing Snapping turtles, as well as Ontario's other turtles, we welcome the designation of Snapping turtles as a species of special concern by COSEWIC. By promoting awareness of this species, reducing unnecessary road mortality and increasing public perception of this relict species we can prevent the Snapping turtle from further population declines and conserve the species.
Winter Slumber
By Laurie Kryshka
All animals prepare for winter differently. Squirrels and chipmunks collect and hide food in the fall, many birds migrate or fly south, while other animals eat large amounts of food in the fall to gain body fat and then find a nice warm place to sleep through winter such as bears, frogs and turtles. Animals that do this are called “hibernators”. Hibernation is when an animal is in an inactive state for a period of time. To be a true hibernator the heart rate of the animal must slow down and their body temperature needs to drop down to near 0OC. That’s almost at the Freezing Point! This then makes it hard for the hibernator to wake up quickly. Even though bears are said to be hibernators they are not true hibernators because their body temperature does not drop very much, and they are easily awaken from their winter slumber. Turtles though are considered to be true hibernators and their hibernation is called Brumation.
All of Ontario’s turtles hibernate throughout winter and their hibernating sites are located usually at the bottom of ponds, lakes or deep under the mud. Doing this allows their body temperature and heart rate to drop so much that their body does not need to eat during the winter. Turtles are able to slow down their heart rate to almost nothing. Normally a turtle’s heart beats about 40 times a minute when basking in the sun in the summer, but during hibernation their heart beat drops down to about one beat every 10 minutes. WOW!
You may be asking yourself if turtles breathe air, how can they sleep all through winter under water? The answer to this puzzling question is just another amazing way turtles have adapted to their environment!
They are able to survive under water because the water that is at the bottom of the ponds and lakes contain more oxygen and are actually warmer than the surface water. To overcome their inability to breathe under water, turtles have adapted special tissue in their throat and tail opening that is able to take in oxygen that is in the water. This means that they are able to breathe through their throat and tail!
Hibernation is just one of the many vulnerable times in a turtle’s lifecycle. During hibernation their body slows so much that their immune system begins to shut down, which means that they are at high risk of getting really sick or even dying. Due to this sick or injured turtles should not hibernate and this is why the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre is so important. All of the sick or injured turtles that come into the Centre that do not heal in time for winter hibernation are kept at the Centre. We care for the turtles through winter so they will be healthy and ready to go once the spring and warm weather return.
Kids for Turtles Environmental Education
By Bob Bowles
Kids for Turtles Environmental Education, formed in 2006, is an outreach educational organization dedicated to increasing public awareness about the importance of preserving natural habitats and protecting the many species that live in these areas. The group promotes habitat preservation and the need for a responsible development process. They also promote healthy, active lifestyles, getting our younger generation out with their families communing with nature and learning about the world around them.
The name Kids For Turtles is symbolic in that turtles are among the few living remnants of the pre-historic era. Conversely, our children represent the future who will assume responsibility for it’s stewardship as future policy makers. Kids For Turtles started as a section of the Twin Lakes Conservation Club but have quickly grown now to a completely separate non-profit organization with charitable status and a membership of over 250 with many chapters in the area. The group now has their own office and an 11-member board of directors from every section of the educational community.
We are much more than just kids protecting turtles since our adult volunteers who include parents, active and retired educators and community leaders, give presentations to schools and community groups on invasive species, species at risk, vernal pools and many other environmental subjects including turtles and other reptiles. The group has formed partnerships with many leading environmental organizations including Ontario Nature. For more information on Kids For Turtles Environmental Education visit their website at www.kidsforturtles.com or email info@kidsforturtles.com. You can also call their office at 705-325-5386 (KFT6).
Kids for Turtles Winter Active Programs in 2009
We first read about the term Nature Deficit Disorder in Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv published in 2005. He proposed the theory that there is a trend that children are spending less time outdoor resulting in a wide range of behavioral problems. He attributes this trend to parental fears that natural areas outdoor are not safe for children and they prefer them in the safety of their own homes. Here they are lured to the screen spending many inactive hours on the consumption of electronic media. CTV ran a story on this trend during the summer of 2007 and interviewed several experts.
They quoted Joe Doiron, senior policy analyst with the Public Health Agency of Canada’s healthy living unit who told them that the whole notion of free, unorganized play is going by the wayside and the trend now is mostly indoor organized activities. He adds, “children and youth are not as active today as they need to be to accrue all of the healthy benefits that they need for healthy growth and development.”
Professor Nathan Perkins of the University of Guelph has found that parents have very vague and powerful fears about letting their children play unsupervised outdoors. We have all watched news reports about a handful of serious crimes against children that seem to occur over and over again giving good reason for parental concerns.
Research by the environmental group Living Green has found that the average child in North America spends less than 15 minutes a day outside but up to 5 hours a day playing video games or watching television. These figures go up in the winter months. Public health staff has found that this lifestyle leads to childhood obesity and unhealthy living which leads to health problems, emotional problems, confidence issues and continuing unhealthy living throughout life.
Kids For Turtles Environmental Education has plans to reverse this tend this winter. We received funding from Good For Life to purchase 12 pairs of high quality children snowshoes this winter for our Snowshoeing Sunday outings. We have these available to groups or families free of charge and can provide leadership at special times this winter when snow condition are best. In order to make it more exciting for participants we are planning to install a winter bird feeder trail along the snowshoe route. Kids For Turtles feel that it is a good way to not only prevent nature deficit disorder and childhood obesity but to promote a healthy lifestyle outdoors.
About the author: Bob Bowles is a renowned naturalist, writer, photographer and professional environmental consultant, respected as an expert in all aspects of the environment. He is also the founder of the Orillia area Kids for Turtles, as well as a number of other naturalist groups.
A Special Thank You to Justine and Kazia!
We would like to extend a huge Thank You to Justine and Kazia Poser for their generous donation to the KTTC. Thanks to Justine and Kazia, we are able to purchase a much needed new fridge & freezer for the Turtle Centre. This allows us to store food and medicine for the turtles in our care.
Craft Sales to benefit KTTC
Local crafter Hilary of Goldbutton Studio is donating 10% of her sales to the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre. Hilary has several paintings for sale and also
molds polymer clay into little sculptures that may end up being earrings, necklaces, or other wearable art. You can visit her online shop at
www.goldbuttonstudio.etsy.com.
2009 Calendar Campaign a Success!
Since 2003 the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre has been selling calendars to raise funds for our turtle rehabilitation program. This year we raised a thousand dollars – that’s enough to 6 tanks (for housing painted, Blanding’s, wood, or map turtles) with proper filtering and lighting!
Over the years the calendars have been designed by the Wildlife Club at the University of Guelph, Lazer Graphics in Peterborough, and most recently by biologist Joe Crowley. Joe’s research for Ontario Nature was recently featured in ON Nature Magazine, available online at http://www.ontarionature.org/onnature/earthwatch.html#7.
Every year the calendars are marketed by a dedicated group of centre volunteers, as well as several local stores. We’d like to thank the stores listed below for their continued support of the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre:
• Animalia (901 Lansdowne St W)
• Have You Seen (321 Aylmer St N)
• Pet-a-Rama (1080 Lansdowne St W)
• Paulmac's (753 Lansdowne St W)
• Pet Valu (139 George St N)
• The Spill (414 George St N)
• Stickling's Bakery & Bistro (191 Charlotte St)
• Titles Bookstore (379 George Street N)
• Wild Rock Outfitters (169 Charlotte St)
The KTTC is recruiting volunteers to help with next year’s calendar campaign as well as other fundraising initiatives. If you are interested in helping us raise funds to continue our conservation work please consider volunteering with the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre by contacting us at info@kawarthaturtle.org.
Australia’s Bum-breathing Turtle Gets a Helping Hand
by Lesley Hale
In Central Queensland lies the Fitzroy River and the city of Rockhampton. Rockhampton is known as the Beef Capital of Australia, but its real icon was there long before the Brahmans moved in. It is the Fitzroy River turtle (Rheodytes leukops), a freshwater turtle that was only discovered in 1980 and is endemic to the Fitzroy Basin. This fascinating species is often referred to as a “bum-breather” due to its unique physiology which allows it to breathe through its bottom. This is known as cloacal respiration and there are other freshwater turtles that are known to have this physiology but none quite so defined as Rheodytes leukops. This turtle has been studied in recent years and it has been found that they can stay submerged for over a week by obtaining oxygen through their cloaca. Within its cloaca are highly-vascular, gill-like structures called papillae that facilitate aquatic gas exchange. It is believed they obtain up to 70 percent of their oxygen through this mode of respiration.
Due to its ability to stay submerged for long periods of time, most local residents are not aware of the existence of this turtle and certainly very few people have ever seen them. This evolutionary ability to stay submerged for long periods of time would likely give the species an advantage during its years as a hatchling and juvenile when they are vulnerable to multiple predators. However, this has given them no advantage to deal with the current threats that they face and they are now listed as a threatened species.
The Fitzroy River turtle is listed as ‘vulnerable’ and is facing a decline in population due to nest predation and habitat disturbance. Like so many other native species in Australia, the introduction of feral species such as foxes and cats has had a devastating impact. Turtle nests have always had natural predators such as water rats and goannas (lizards), but with the introduction of feral predators, the balance has been lost and the turtles are losing the battle of survival.
A local community organisation, Greening Australia, saw an opportunity to develop a project to conserve the threatened turtle. In partnership with scientists from the Environmental Protection Agency, Greening Australia developed a project that would address the threats such as nest predation and habitat disturbance.
With a team of over 30 local volunteers, ranging in age from 13 to 65, the project involved patrolling sections of the Fitzroy River which had nesting sites. From mid September to the end of November these sites were searched every morning at dawn for evidence of new nests. When new nests were found, a protective mesh was placed over the nest to keep predators from gaining access to the eggs buried in the sand.
In 2007 the team safely protected over 110 nests and with an average of 16 eggs per nest, it is estimated that over 1700 hatchlings reached the Fitzroy River. This was a huge success for the project and the nest protection patrols continue to this day. The 2008 nesting season saw similar success. In some cases the nests had to be relocated to safer nesting banks. This was due to either camping pressures or the turtle laying the nest too close to the river’s edge. In such cases, the eggs were carefully removed from the nest, measured, put in a box with sand and moved to a safer nesting bank. During the relocation it was imperative that the eggs not be rotated as this may have fatal results for the delicate embryo. The relocated nests had the same hatching success as stationary nests due to the delicate handling of the eggs.
Other aspects of the project include habitat restoration which involves fencing off nesting sites to restrict cattle access and weed removal to ensure the nesting banks are accessible for the turtles. The project received full cooperation from landholders to not only access nesting sites on their land, but also to erect fences where necessary.
The on-ground achievements of the project were very encouraging but perhaps the greatest achievements were those gained through raising awareness. Presentations on the Fitzroy River turtle project were given at local schools, community organisations, conferences and local events. In partnership with the Australian Freshwater Turtle Conservation and Research Association, workshops were held showcasing all the species of turtles living in the Fitzroy River. These live specimens were captive bred turtles and commonly used for education purposes across the state of Queensland. As the Fitzroy River turtle is normally such a shy and uncommonly seen animal, this workshop provided the local community the rare opportunity to see one up close and personal.
The local community were finally getting the opportunity to learn all about their local turtles and how they could help protect them. School children were excited to learn all about the “bum-breathing” turtle that lived in their local rivers. The project attracted media attention with spots on local and national news and the TV program Totally Wild. The Fitzroy River turtle is finally on the map and on the minds of Australians, both locally and nationally. The future is looking a little brighter for the shy turtle of the Fitzroy River.
QUICK FACTS
Name : Rheodytes leukops
Discovered: 1980
Status: Vulnerable
Distribution: Fitzroy Basin, Queensland, Australia
Size: 25cm
Appearance: Medium to dark brown with no
distinct markings; white ring around the eye
Reproduction: lays 12-20 eggs on sandy banks
from mid Sept to mid Nov; 2-3 clutches per season
Threats: nest predation, habitat disturbance; water
quality
About the Author:
Lesley Hale, a native to Belleville, Ontario, managed the Fitzroy River Turtle Conservation Project for 3 years in Queensland Australia. She is now volunteering with KTTC and helping with the Wood Turtle Recovery Strategy.
Rehabilitation Centre Development Workshop
The KTTC recently received a helping hand from Kip Parker, who lead a comprehensive workshop for board members and core volunteers on January 17 and 18. He shared many years of knowledge and experience in the field of wildlife rehabilitation, presenting on topics as diverse as the basics of rehabilitation, board roles and responsibilities, strategic planning, operating framework, volunteer management, centre design, fundraising and budgeting. The wisdom Kip has shared with us will be invaluable both during our current move and for our long-term planning.
T-Shirt Contest
The Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre (KTTC) is having a t-shirt contest. Judging for the t-shirt contest will be based on originality (uniqueness of design), creativity, and best interpretation of the KTTC theme. Submissions for the contest will be accepted from February 1, 2009 to Friday, March 27, 2009. The person who submits the winning design will receive a t-shirt featuring thier design, a copy of The Great Big Book of Snakes and Reptiles (donated by Chapters), a pair of tickets to the Canadian Canoe Museum, and media publicity. The design will be posted on the KTTC website.
How to enter: Create a t-shirt design that will represent the KTTC. Entries should be submitted on 8 1/2 x 11 white paper, and they must be in color (no more than 2 colours should be used). A black and white sketch also must be submitted with the entry. The name, address and phone number of the artist must be written on the back of each entry submitted by mail. Entries may also be submitted by email and must include the same information. Entries must be received by 11:59p.m., Friday, March 27, 2009. There is a limit of one entry per person. By submitting a design, entrants agree to have their submissions appear on the KTTC website and the t-shirts to be produced. By accepting the prize, winners grant the KTTC permission and for the use of his/her name, likeness and biographical information and contest submission for advertising and promotional purposes without notice or additional compensation. All entries become the property of the KTTC and will not be returned. The KTTC t-shirt contest is open to all Ontario residents. Designs must be original artwork.
Please submit designs to: T-shirt Contest, Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre c/o Riverview Park and Zoo, PO Box 4125, Peterborough ON, K9J 6Z5 or info@kawarthaturtle.org.
Additional images from this issue available on Picasa:
Kawartha Turtle Times 2009 Winter
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