Spiny softshell turtle hatchlings, courtesy of Scott Gillingwater
The Southern Ontario At Risk Reptiles program recently celebrated its best incubation season to date, beating last year’s record by about two-hundred more nests.
“Just like any wildlife or even plants that we have in nature, they’re all part of a larger ecosystem. You get rid of one, and you have a domino effect,” said Scott Gillingwater, director of the program. Spiny softshell turtles play a critical role in the environment, making their continued presence necessary for a healthy ecosystem. “The turtles themselves, they provide food for many predators. Their eggs are eaten by many predators. Raccoon, skunk, coyote, fox, etcetera. Turtles act as predators as well, so they will take a number of animals as food in the environment, and that keeps the environment healthy.” Gillingwater explained.
“We’ve done everything from surveying natural areas, that means the Thames river, and many other wetlands, woodlands, etcetera,”
For Gillingwater, the results show what is possible when people come together for the betterment of the environment. “I think a lot of people, when they think of endangered species, they think of pandas or whales, but in our own backyard we have a number of species at risk. In terms of reptiles, some of those include endangered queen snake, we have the spiny softshell turtle, and a number of other species not currently at risk.”
