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About this Poster
At CWF we’re wild about turtles and now you can be too with the latest edition of our popular Backyard Habitat Program’s Wild About… poster series. Order your copy of Wild About …Turtles today.
Wild About… Turtles is a stunning scene with information about Canada’s eight inland turtles and four sea turtles found off of our coasts. Learn key identifying features, where they live and neat facts about our native turtles.
Turtles are universally captivating, appearing in myths and stories across many cultures. They also display a unique body plan: they are the only living vertebrates with a bony shell. This shell serves as a portable hiding spot and a layer of armor. This success in evolution hasn’t changed much since the first turtles roamed the Earth more than 200 million years ago.
Currently, most of Canada’s turtle species are in jeopardy. The development of shorelines and wetland areas means valuable habitat is lost. Unwanted pet turtles are sometimes released into the wild, forcing native turtles to compete for food and space. Collisions with vehicles, pollution, climate change and the unsustainable collection of wild turtles also takes its toll.
Help conserve wetland habitats, connecting rivers, lakes and oceans that serve not only turtles, but a whole web of creatures, including you!
What you can do:
• Visit a local wet area and explore without disturbing the habitat
• Help turtles cross the road if it is safe for you to do so
• Before taking on a pet turtle learn about the species you want to keep, research proper care, find out if it is legally kept as a pet where you live and be mindful of where it came from.
• Keep your everyday choices green through actions like reducing waste at home, school or the office and purchasing eco-friendly products with less packaging and fewer harmful substances.
• Help create wildlife friendly spaces in your community