Saving Spiny Softshell Turtle: What you can do to help The Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera) is a medium to large-sized freshwater turtle. Females can grow more than 4 times as big as males. Their carapace (top shell) is olive to tan, flat, round, keelless (no raised ridge down the centre of the shell), and leathery. The surface of the carapace may be slightly rough, like sandpaper, especially in adult males. Adult males have black circles on their carapace but females have a mottled or blotched pattern. The head and legs are green to gray, with a pattern of dark spots and yellowish-green stripes. The tubular snout has large nostrils, the lips are yellowish with dark spots, and the jaws are sharp. All four feet are webbed, and the webbing Photo: Scott Gillingwater extends up the back legs. Do you live near Spiny Softshell Field check Turtles?  Long neck In the Carolinian zone the Spiny Softshell Turtle  Long snout can be found in Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie  Very flat, leathery, olive to brownish (including major tributaries like the Thames and coloured carapace Sydenham Rivers), and western Lake Ontario. They live in soft-bottomed rivers and lakes. They  Very fast on land and in water are often seen at or just downstream of river  Buries into the mud and then wiggles bends. They spend a lot of time basking on to settle the mud over the shell sunlit riverbanks, logs, rocks, and some artificial structures. They hunt for food in riffles, creeks, shallow inlets, and areas with vegetative debris and aquatic plants. Did you know? During the summer adult females dig their nests Spiny Softshell Turtles can stay under close to the water in sand or fine gravel that gets water for up to five hours because they lots of sunlight. can “breathe” through their skin. In the winter they hibernate in deep pools (more than 1 m) that do not freeze completely.  Retain natural shorelines (e.g. vegetation, What you can do to help fallen trees in water, etc.). Provide additional  Create or expand small sunlit clearings on the habitat by placing partly submerged logs near north side (south facing bank) of water the shore to be used by basking turtles. bodies.  Do not create trails close to known  When possible, restrict boat and fishing populations of Spiny Softshell Turtles. access to water bodies where Spiny Softshell  Clean up food wastes to limit increasing Turtles are known to live to prevent populations of predators of turtle eggs (e.g. disturbance of and/or injuries to this species. raccoons). Saving Spiny Softshell Turtle

General Best Stewardship Practices Status  Keep domestic pets on a leash when Spiny Softshell Turtles are Threatened outside to prevent them from harming or nationally and provincially. It is illegal to kill, harassing native wildlife. harm or collect the species, or to destroy its  Learn to identify invasive species. Your habitat in Ontario. local Conservation Authority or Ontario Carolinian Canada Coalition is working with Ministry of Natural Resources Office can local Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources provide you with information on invasive Offices, Conservation Authorities and other species that occur in your area and what you Non-Governmental Organizations to recover can do to help prevent their spread. Species at Risk.  Learn about stewardship activities in your You can help the recovery efforts by protecting area and actively participate in protecting this species and its habitat. Species at Risk. To find more information about stewardship activities in your area, contact your local Stewardship Council or Good sources of information Conservation Authority. Carolinian Canada Coalition:  Take advantage of the Environmental Farm www.carolinian.org Plan program. To learn more contact the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources or the Includes information about Ontario Species at Risk Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/ Affairs. Natural Heritage Information Centre  If you have Species at Risk on your property, http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/ you may be eligible for stewardship programs Find your local Conservation Authority Office: or financial incentives that support the www.conservationontario.ca protection and recovery of Species at Risk and Government of Canada Species at Risk Public their habitats. Contact the Ontario Ministry of Registry: Natural Resources for more information. www.sararegistry.gc.ca  Report any illegal activity related to plants Find your local Stewardship Council: and wildlife to 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) www.ontariostewardship.org Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association Includes information about the Environmental Farm Did you know? Plan Spiny Softshell Turtle is the only turtle in ontariosoilcrop.org Ontario with a flexible, leathery shell, and the Toronto Zoo Adopt-a-Pond only one that can grow as big as a Snapping Learn more about Ontario’s reptiles, their habitat Turtle. and related conservation initiatives. www.torontozoo.com/Adoptapond Assistance for this project Ontario’s Reptile and Amphibian Atlas was provided by the See how you can participate and learn more about Government of Ontario Ontario’s reptiles and amphibians. www.ontarionature.org/protect/species/herpetofauna Environment Environnement l_atlas.php Canada Canada