Twin Turtles

A pair of Western Painted Turtles soak up the sun on a small exposed area of a sunken log. Unusually far from the marsh, they cling with their long, curved claws as frequent boat waves lap over the wood and at times wash them into the dark water. Because painted turtles are cold-blooded, they rely on the sun and warm perches to heat their body and regulate their temperature. This is needed to help with digestion and for females, to properly produce and incubate their eggs; a vital process. Although western painted turtles are not endangered, some subspecies and almost all other turtle species within Canada, are. Like these other species, Painted turtles face the same obstacles with the rate of declining habitat and food sources being impacted due to wetland development, pollution and something many wouldn’t think twice about, boats and the waves they create. One of the easiest ways we as a society can support these creatures and many others is quite easy, simply slow to no wake (something that is mandatory in many areas to not damage docks, but is typically not required to not damage ecosystems), or avoid an area of wetlands and marsh all together, keeping a wide girth wherever possible.