Wildlife experts encouraging public to watch for nesting animals

Wildlife experts are reminding the public that it is peak nesting season for turtles in Ontario, meaning more of these reptiles will be crossing roads or searching for suitable nesting sites. Tara Bauer, Executive Director of Turtles Kingston, explained that turtles have a specific period to come ashore, find sandy, sun-exposed locations to lay their eggs, and then leave without returning.

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They essentially have like a month and a half where every single turtle’s gonna come and nest.

Beyond turtles, other cold-blooded animals like frogs and snakes are also becoming more active throughout the summer months. Caleigh Beckett of Sandy Pines is urging drivers to exercise caution and be alert for wildlife on roads. Snakes, in particular, may use the warm asphalt in the middle of the road to bask in the sun.

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Regardless of the species, they’re coming onto land to find a place that’s sandy, gravel, exposed sunlight, to lay their eggs and then they leave, they will never check on those eggs again.

If a driver encounters an injured animal, Beckett advises contacting wildlife experts for guidance. If possible, the animal should be safely moved into a container, such as a rubber floor mat in a car, and transported for care. Keeping the environment calm and quiet is recommended to minimize stress for the animal.

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Especially this time of year, you’re looking for turtles and snakes that are more likely to be out. Snakes often, if you see kind of [a] big branch, they actually use the asphalt …in the middle of the road to bask in that nice sun too.

For those who spot a turtle nest, Bauer suggests using a nest protector to deter predators. She noted that in human-populated areas, nearly 100% of turtle eggs are preyed upon by animals like foxes and skunks. Nest protectors can be obtained from Turtles Kingston and should remain in place until October, with the owner's contact information clearly marked.

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It’s essentially a hundred percent of eggs get eaten in human areas, so it’s the predation rate from animals such as foxes, skunks, anything you can think of that lives well with humans can eat and find these nests really easily.