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Endangered turtles threatened

Kyle Slavin

Victoria News, April 16 , 2010

Their underbellies resemble a brightly coloured masterpiece by Michelangelo (or maybe Leonardo or Raphael). But Greater Victoria’s native turtle population is being threatened by one of man’s newer creations. Earlier this month, five baby Western painted turtles – a species deemed endangered on Vancouver Island – became roadkill on Beaver Lake Road. “The problem is, we don’t expect drivers to see the babies. They’re about the size of a loonie ... But we hope people will slow down enough to see the adults,” said Todd Carnahan, land care co-ordinator with Habitat Acquisition Trust.

It’s estimated that there are only 250 to 500 Western painted turtles left on Vancouver Island, making their home at Elk, Langford and Matson lakes.

“With an endangered population, every individual is important,” Carnahan said.

In the last three years, a total of 10 turtles have been found dead on Beaver Lake Road.

“Statistics indicate that less than 10 per cent of the babies are going to survive to adulthood,” Carnahan said.

“If we lose 10 turtles over three years, it starts to stack up. That means you’ve lost one adult.”

Signs have been put up by Saanich indicating the road is a turtle crossing.

“We’ll need to go back and redo the speed study and see if we’ve changed driver behaviour to see if they’re slowing down (because of the sign,” said Jim Hemstock, manager of transportation for Saanich.

“We want to see if we are backsliding or is (the message) hanging in. Experience from elsewhere shows these warning signs tend not to be long-lasting ... but this might be effective because it’s so novel. How many turtle crossing signs are there out there?”

The turtles are in the thick of crossing season, which will continue until July. The reptiles are migrating to ponds or to nesting sites.

But Carnahan said the five dead babies were all found pointed south, away from the lake, which is indicative of something possibly concerning.

“It’s possible that some disturbance, some change, might be causing the turtles to go the wrong way. (HAT is) trying to make sure we haven’t created a situation where turtles aren’t making it to their destinations.”

Because the babies are so small, it’s almost impossible to tell them apart from a small rock.

The adults are much larger – between 10 and 25 centimetres long – and have red, yellow and green coloured shells, making them easier to spot.

“We’re asking the public to report any turtles they find, perhaps take a photograph and send that to us,” Carnahan said.

If you happen to find a turtle on the road, and can tell which direction it’s heading, carefully help it to the other side.

“People need to be aware that turtles live in this habitat. They have to travel across the landscape to get all those elements they require for a complete habitat,” Carnahan said.

“But often those corridors they travel through are what threaten our endangered population.”

To contact that Habitat Acquisition Trust, call 250-995-2428.

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