Turtles are on the move!
Can you guess when the first turtle sighting posted on carapace.ca for the 2019 season was? A painted turtle, very much alive, came to the surface of the water mostly covered by ice for a few breaths of fresh air.... on March 9, 2019! Since then, Carapace has received more than 450 reports of turtles. So, now’s the time to watch for turtles on Quebec roads!
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Blanding's Turtle, Carapace 2018 (Joëlie Lecompte)
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Active period
Keep your eyes open from now until the end of June. This is when the carapace.ca platform has documented the most road deaths. This is also the time when females move more frequently in search of a suitable nesting site. From July to the end of October, keep looking, as turtle season continues. After October, turtles start to hibernate.
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Egg predation
Sometimes you may find eggshells scattered on the ground surrounding a turtle nest. These eggs have been targeted by predators, such as raccoons, foxes and skunks. Although sad to see, egg predation is part of the turtle's life cycle. Turtles have a low egg survival rate and late sexual maturity. The real problem, though, comes from human-induced mortality that disrupts the life cycle of turtles. To prevent a decline, the main focus should be on protecting adult turtles and reducing the risk of road collisions.
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The wood turtle
According to data collected on carapace.ca in 2018, wood turtles accounted for four per cent of observations on Quebec roads, but 25 per cent of them were dead or injured. Wood turtles have the highest road fatality rate after painted turtle (26 per cent), closely followed by Blanding's turtle (22 per cent) and snapping turtle (11 per cent). As the wood turtle is threatened in Quebec, it is even more important to be aware of its presence on roads and to help it cross safely. Find out more about this species here.
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Nesting
During nesting, or egg laying, females mainly look for sites with sandy, earthy or gravelly soil to lay their eggs. Shoulders of unpaved roads often attract females for egg laying. However, these areas are unsafe for both the eggs and the turtles, as nests can be compacted by cars, eggs destroyed and females crushed. Be vigilant along roadsides!
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Open to all!
Whether you are on your way to work or heading out on vacation with friends or family, the carapace.ca platform allows you to report turtles seen anywhere in Quebec. Tell your family and friends about the carapace.ca platform. The more people who use it, the better we can identify mortality hot spots and new habitats. So, please help us increase the number of reports!
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Analysing turtle fatality hotspots
GIS analysis of Carapace data from 2016 to 2018
We have completed a first analysis of the data submitted on Carapace since its launch. This analysis identified 70 high-risk road sections for turtles in nine administrative regions of Quebec. A higher number of hot spots are found in the Outaouais (33), Laurentian (13) and Montérégie (12) regions, as they have denser turtle populations.
The deadliest road sections are paved road located near wetlands with less traffic (less than 2,500 vehicles per day). Three statistically significant hot spots have an average traffic of more than 10,000 vehicles per day: Highway 50, Highway 5, and Boulevard des Allumetières in the Outaouais. The deadliest road section with the highest level of confidence is Perrot-Nord Boulevard in Montérégie. This paved municipal artery sees fewer than 1,000 cars per day. The road runs along the St. Lawrence River on Île Perrot and crosses a wetland.
Data from this first analysis will be shared with our partners, so they can take a closer look.
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What to do if you see a turtle on the road
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Using the online form
Here are some tips on entering information on the carapace.ca form:
Tip #1: Be sure to read each drop-down menu carefully before selecting the correct option.
Tip #2: If you see two turtles in the same location, but they are different species or in different condition, please submit two separate forms — one for each turtle.
Tip #3: Before submitting your form, check the positioning of your observation on the Google map. If necessary, move the red pointer to show the correct location of your observation.
Tip # 4: Location options 1, 2 and 3 automatically generate latitude and longitude in the formats 45.123456 and -75.123456. These numbers allow us to produce maps. Please do not delete these numbers.
Tip #5: If you are using location option 3 — street address — be sure to include the full address, including municipality and province. Do not enter your own residential address unless the turtle is on your property.
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Photo-taking tips
A photo is required for submitting a report on carapace.ca, as it allows us to validate the species and the quality of the information. Photograph as many features as possible: the turtle seen from the front and side, the shape of its shell, patterns on its head and shell, surrounding area, etc. Feel free to use an everyday object to provide scale. Several photos are better than one.
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News from our partners
Mikinak Turtle Festival on August 3 in Pike River. Contact pikeriverainsenaction@gmail.com.
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The Zoo de Granby can treat two injured species: spiny softshell turtle and wood turtle. In such a case, contact the zoo directly. Residents of the Eastern Townships can also share information about the turtles they see at RechercheConservation@zoodegranby.com.
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