Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre
1434 Chemong Rd., Unit 4 K9J 6X2 Peterborough, ON, Canada

The turtle with the sun under its chin!

Struggling with someone who is hard to buy for? Need stocking stuffers or something to top off that secret Santa gift? Check out our online shop! HOODIES, TOTE BAGS, BUMPER STICKERS, MAGNETS, TURTLE BUTTON PINS, and lots more! All proceeds go to turtle care www.ontarioturtle.ca/shop PLEASE NOTE: Orders wishing to be shipped within Ontario need to be in by December 12th to ensure the best *chance* of receiving before Christmas. They will be shipped on December 16th latest.... Orders being picked up in person must be in by December 19th to ensure they are ready for pickup by December 23rd latest. December 23rd is the last day to pick up orders before Christmas. Any out of province orders we cannot safely say will arrive before Christmas, but consider printing a photo of your order and wrapping that while you wait for it to arrive! Post services this year are unpredictable due to the volume they are dealing with, but they’re doing all they can and we are so thankful! See more

*ART AUCTION FUNDRAISER* Our Education Ambassador turtles have decided to put on an Art Auction to help raise funds for the centre! Here are some of the pieces the turtles have done. We will post another video tomorrow with the rest of the pieces available! Do you have a favorite already?! ............. The auction will be run on Facebook through a photo album. The album will have individual photos of the artwork available. Here are the rules for the auction:... - Bids must be placed on the photo of the artwork you wish to bid on. - There will be minimum bid and minimum bid increment details on each piece. - Bidding will take place from November 21st at 9:00am until November 23rd at 5:00pm. - Any bids that don't meet the above requirements will not be counted. - Artwork is local pick-up only, we cannot ship art pieces due to size and fragility. You will be contacted via Facebook messenger if you win to arrange payment and pick-up. Happy bidding everyone! See more

Rusty is always so curious. You can see why scientists say Wood turtles are one of the most intelligent in Ontario! Hope everyone’s Sunday was relaxing stay warm and safe.

What makes Snapping turtles so snappy?! Snapping turtles aren't able to pull themselves into their shells fully, their plastron is just too tiny and they are just too large! All of Ontario's turtles have similar but slightly different ways of protecting themselves aside from their shells. Musk turtles have a smelly odor, Blanding's have a hinged shell that can almost fully close, and Snapping turtles snap! Don't worry though - if you leave them alone or are handling them correctly when helping them cross roads, you won't get bit! They're just trying to protect themselves from potential predator.

Mr. D is getting ready to teach people about Snapping turtles! What is something you’ve always wanted to know about turtles? We would be happy to answer your questions! To book a virtual tour contact our Education Coordinator Wendy at [email protected]

Its #SendUsSomethingSunday! Our needs are always shifting priorities based on what we are able to purchase, are generously donated, need to replace, or run out of! This week we are looking for these items in particular. Especially *CLIPBOARDS!* They can be found on our Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.ca//35S3HOHPT/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1 Or at your local dollar stores or home stores!

The Art Auction is now open Details and rules in the album description. Open from November 21st 9:00am to November 23rd 5:00pm. Best of luck everyone!

LUNCHTIME On today's menu: + Since adopting our Midland Painted Turtle from the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre back in November, she has made so much... progress! Thanks for keeping her strong and healthy, OTCC! L’HEURE DU DÎNER Le menu du jour : + Depuis que nous nous sommes engagés à parrainer une tortue peinte du Centre auprès du Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre en novembre, elle a fait d’énormes progrès! Un grand merci à l’OTCC pour la maintenir en bonne forme et en bonne santé! Canada Games

Painted turtles in their new larger enclosures just before we set up their lights! We cannot thank everyone enough for supporting us and allowing us to create such a wonderful space for these turtles to heal in. Our work isn’t done yet! More shelves are being installed so we can house more turtles in this extra square footage Video walk through in the comments! Shoutout to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for funding the renovation and The Gordon and Patricia Gray Animal Welfare Foundation for the turtle tubs!

Checking in on the turtles at the end of the day and we can’t help but feel so tremendously grateful. This new building feeling wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Mary and Gerry Young, The Ontario Trillium Foundation, Gordon and Patricia Gray Animal Welfare Foundation, and of course all of our other amazing supporters! Have a great Friday night turtle friends!

Want to send winter wishes to your loved ones this year? How about a Holiday Hatchling card ? https://ontarioturtle.ca/product/holiday-hatchling-cards/... Available on our online store $10.00 for a package of 5 with envelopes! A great way to say Hey and support the work we do here at the OTCC!

Interested in our virtual tours? Our Education Coordinator Wendy does presentations to fit your needs! Homeschool groups, elementary schools, high schools, universities, colleges, group events, interest groups, retirement homes, or even something fun for your social circle to enjoy together. The OTCC's virtual tours are for everyone! Contact Wendy today to book yours at [email protected]

Here is some artwork sent to us from a school in Saskatchewan! We're so happy that the impact of the OTCC's education program can be felt not only here in Ontario, but Canada wide. To book a virtual tour, no travel needed, email Wendy at [email protected]

Fun Fact Friday: Northern Map turtle hatchlings are insanely cute! All joking aside - did you know Northern Map turtles exhibit sexual dimorphism? Adult females are about twice as big as the males!

Holidays going to be a little different this year? Send a Holiday Hatchling card to your friends and family you might miss seeing! Available in singles and packs of 5, envelopes included. Click here: https://ontarioturtle.ca/product/holiday-hatchling-cards/ All proceeds go to turtles care! Notes about holiday store purchases: If you want your best chances to receive your orders before Dec 25th follow the guideline dates below.... Dec 7: Out of province orders due. Dec 11: In ON orders due. Dec 18: In person pick-up orders due. Dec 23: Last day to pick-up orders. See more

Don't know what to gift to the turtle lover in your life? The Art Auction is a great way to get them something unique and truly one of a kind! November 21-23! ............. The auction will be run on Facebook through a photo album. The album will have individual photos of the artwork available. Here are the rules for the auction:... - Bids must be placed on the photo of the artwork you wish to bid on. - There will be minimum bid and minimum bid increment details on each piece. - Bidding will take place from November 21st at 9:00am until November 23rd at 5:00pm. - Any bids that don't meet the above requirements will not be counted. - Artwork is local pick-up only, we cannot ship art pieces due to size and fragility. You will be contacted via Facebook messenger if you win to arrange payment and pick-up. Happy bidding everyone! See more

Check out this snapping turtle clutch! Some of them have slightly different colouring. Snapping turtle clutches have been shown to have different paternity. However this could be genetic variation in phenotypes of direct siblings as well. It’s hard to know without DNA testing!

At OTCC we often have the pleasure of hosting placement students in many different fields of study- pictured here is a group from Humber College, studying film. For their term project, they recently produced a PSA for OTCC- they even self-isolated before coming, to ensure everyone would be safe. Look for this PSA in the spring!! Thank you Humber - a pleasure meeting these future movie-makers!

Paddy would like to wish you a happy Thanksgiving!! He is indoors for the fall now and is feeling very thankful for all of your support and for his turtle roommates!

What are we thankful for? YOU! The OTCC wants to thank everyone for sharing their fall harvest with us. Whether you brought in greens, donated food, or donated money you've kept all the turtles well fed and cared for.

Enjoy this video of our last release of the year. There is nothing more rewarding than watching a turtle enthusiastically return to its habitat! We haven't been doing any releases the past couple of weeks, because turtles that have been with us for a while need a period of warm weather to readjust and prepare for winter. The snapping turtle in this video was only admitted for a quick overnight visit, and the warm weather this weekend should give him ample time to settle in.

This spirited snapping turtle came for a checkup two years in a row! He was admitted both times because of an old injury that looks worse than it is. Because we microchip each turtle before their release, we know he's been surviving well in the wild despite the injury. This year, he stayed with us for just one day - long enough to have a meal of fish and get a clean bill of health before being released back where he was found. Can you spot him in the water in the second picture?

Are you able to help? Our new, 2nd location is about to have even more turtles! Currently one building is renovated and housing turtles but the second one is almost done. To save us time bringing food back and forth between locations we need another fridge. If you are able to donate one please give us call at 705-741-5000 (between 9am-5pm) or email at [email protected] Please share so we can get the word out to as many people as possible. Thank you Ontario turtle supporters!

Rusty loves eating raspberries! Wood turtles are more terrestrial than our other native species in Ontario, and will eat on land! On land they eat things like wild berries, flowers, mushrooms, and seeds. Tasty! Music: https://www.bensound.com

We are currently in need of: Wall clocks - battery powered works best for us. Large Plastic Clamps - these are used to keep the hoses on the tanks while cleaning! Timers - preferably ones with dual outlets. This is for the turtles heat and UV lamps. Strainers - prefer medium sized metal ones. Our feeders scoop out food that isn't eaten with these. ... If you're able to donate these items they can be dropped off at our centre from 9am-5pm Monday-Friday! Just ring the doorbell and we will come out and meet you. Alternatively these can be shipped to us at our mailing address of 1434 Unit#4 Chemong Rd, Selwyn, ON, K9J 6X2. Thank you so much for your generosity! See more

Wow! A big thank you to Toralei She took the time to make drawings of turtles, selling them to her friends and family and bringing in a donation to the centre this past Saturday with her mom and dad. Way to go Toralei for being a turtle steward!! The turtles and everyone at the OTCC thank you for your hard work in helping Ontario's turtles!

Due to the increase of COVID-19 cases in Ontario, unfortunately we have made the difficult decision to cancel all private tours booked now and for the near future. We want to ensure we are doing our best to protect the health and safety of all visitors, volunteers, and staff. The good news - we are still booking Virtual Field Trips at the same cost as the private tours! All are welcome; families, educators, community groups etc. Book now to see our education ambassador turtl...es up close on camera! These tours are an hour in length, on the platform of your choosing (e.g. Zoom, Google Meet). So far these field trips have been a huge success! See what is being said about them below: Jessica - The field trip was phenomenal! Kids, parents, teachers all absolutely enjoyed it! I’ve done a number of live virtual trips and this was by far my best and most interactive live trip experience so far. Tracie You did such a great job explaining things clearly and keeping it really engaging for the kids online. Kate We learned about native turtles from the live ambassadors, had a lesson in moving turtles from the roadway, and got a peek at hatchlings that had just emerged from their eggs that morning. Keri I teach in a college-level Animal Care program and the students thoroughly enjoyed it. Wendy provided an abundant amount of fascinating information and inspired my students to be more concerned about Ontario’s turtles and wetland habitats. To book a Virtual Field Trip with the OTCC, send an email to: [email protected] Thank you for all your support and understanding!

Conservation work isn't just for the here and now, it's protecting the future as well.

Another one healed up and home! Thank you to everyone involved!

From 5 turtles hatched in clutch 20-U-067 to 7! These hatchlings are being put into water for the first time. They will over-winter with us and be released in the spring. We’ve had thousands of eggs hatch in the last few months and thanks to your support we are able to give these little turtles a head start!