Turtles of Ontario

I have had the opportunity to work with all but one species of Ontario turtles and would like to share my experiences and knowledge about these species through a series now that I have a bit more free time in the off season. Mostly I just haven't posted in a very very long time and figured this would be a nice post to make.

Here are a few photos of turtles I have found across Ontario and a bit about each one:

Spiny Softshell Turtles are definitely a unique turtle in relation to other species in Ontario since they are the only one without a hard shell. They are also incredibly flat and look more like a pancake with a really really long neck than a turtle.  This species is very rarely seen because they spend most of the time int he water and bask less frequently than hard shelled turtles.  Most of the time when I have seen them they are just pointy noses poking out of the water while the turtles swim along shorelines or large rivers or lakes.

Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera)

Northern Map Turtles have a pattern of so many lines on their shell and body that it looks like a map. These turtles love basking on rocky shorelines. Compared to the more common painted turtle,the shells appear dull rather than shiny from a distance.

Northern Map (Graptemys geographica)

Snapping Turtles are the heaviest species of turtle in Ontario. They have a bit of a reputation for being 'snappy' and there are even some old wives tales of them taking off a finger or two. I have seen a few people get bit and nobody has lost any fingers yet in my experience and these were all people who were holding turtles improperly or harassing them (not ever people having their toes bitten while swimming). To explain WHY these large turtles respond this way to people is that their plastron (shell covering their bellies) is smaller than their body so they can't actually fit into their shell fully like a Painted Turtle can.  To put this into perspective if a predator flips this turtle on it's back it will basically be a meal in a bowl.  But by being aggressive Snapping Turtles can scare away predators.

Snapping (Chelydra serpentina)

Blanding's Turtles have a dark helmet shaped shell and a bright yellow chin that makes them almost look happy.  Unlike Snapping Turtles, Blanding's Turtles actually have a hinged shell that can close the shell off to predators.  Unfortunately one of the biggest threats to this species is road mortality because when they get scared they hide in their shell and will just get stuck on the road (obviously a turtle doesn't know what a car is and won't look both ways first).  While on the road they either get hit by a car or can dehydrate on the hot road surface.

Blanding's (Emydoidea blandingii)

Spotted Turtles are an Endangered species in Canada and probably one of my favorites, but it is hard to pick. This species is quite small and can probably fit in the palm of an adults hand when fully grown.

Spotted (Clemmys guttata)

Painted Turtles are the most common species of turtle in Ontario and the only native turtle species not a Species at Risk. The bright yellow and red marking and shinny dark shell look quite similar to the introduced species Red-eared Slider, which is larger.  Painted Turles have the most drastic sexual dimorphism of any Ontario turtle. This means that the males and females look different and in the case of Painted Turtles it is both size, shell shape and nails that show differences. Males are smaller, have a concave plastron (most species have this trait for getting on top of the female) and most noticeably they have really really strikingly long nails! The nails are actually used in mating to 'tickle' the females chin. Somehow this works for them... the ladies must love it.

Midland Painted (Chrysemys picta marginata)

Stinkpot Turtles, also called Musk Turtles are aptly named after their defense mechanism of producing a very strong bad smell that they excrete through their skin when scared.  Like Snapping Turtles this species doesn't have a full plastron covering it's belly and can't fit in it's shell, BUT this species is nowhere near the size of a Snapping Turtle and can also fit in the palm of your hand when fully grown. Not very threatening is it...?

Stinkpot (Sternotherus odoratus)

Soo far the only native species of Ontario turtle I haven't had the pleasure of working with is Wood Turtles, but hopefully I will get a chance and will update this post to add that species when I do!