by David Seburn An increase of only 0.1% in the annual mortality rate of 15+ year old Snapping Turtles would halve the number of adults in the local population in less than 20 years. Source: Management Plan for the Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) in Canada Snapping Turtles face many threats including the loss [...]
by Ken Buchan, OFNC Conservation Committee Note: The deadline for submissions is 18 March 2016 Background American Eel (Anguilla rostrata). See Freezing Nature for more photos The American Eel (Anguilla rostrata), once common over a large portion of eastern Canada, has declined dramatically in much of its Canadian range due to pressures from [...]
One of the more than 100 Blanding's Turtles that live in an area slated for development in Kanata. Photo by David Seburn by the OFNC's Conservation Committee The Blanding's Turtle needs your help. Kanata Lakes North Development Inc. in Ottawa is proposing to "Kill, harm and harass Least Bittern as well as damage [...]
By David Seburn They say you can’t fight city hall. However, sometimes you can motivate the powers that be. Can you see the baby snapper? Can you see how high that curb must look to it? Photo by Ian Whyte For some time now, it has been known that hatchling Snapping Turtles (officially [...]
by Dave Seburn Snapping Turtles will never win any prizes for parenting. Females nest by digging a hole in the ground and depositing their eggs in it. They cover the hole and return to the wetland, maternal duties finished. Many of those nests will be dug up by Raccoons or Skunks looking for an easy [...]
By Lucy Patterson, member of the OFNC Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) On September 12-13th, 2014, Nature Canada held a fall BioBlitz event at Mud Lake. Its goal was to locate, identify, and photograph as many living things as possible within a 24-hour period. The event was part of a larger effort to [...]
by Ian Whyte On 10 September, I attended an OFNC birding outing at Mud Lake. Because I’ve found Snapping Turtle hatchlings trapped on the road by the filtration plant in previous years, I checked that location on my way home. The road in front of the filtration plant can be a death trap for hatchlings [...]
from Turtle S.H.E.L.L. Why did the turtle cross the road? To get to the other side. It may seem silly, but it’s the truth. Right now many turtles are moving from one marsh to another, to find food, locate a mate, or lay eggs. Historically, this was no problem, but today turtles must often cross [...]
