Adopt-a-turtle

Looking for a unique way to get involved and support this worthy cause?  Adopt-a-Turtle and help make a significant difference for turtle conservation in Muskoka.  Our project teams have been hard at work in the field tracking and tagging turtles and finding nesting sites.  Each turtle they come across is unique and this effort requires year round resources and time to be effective.

By symbolically adopting a turtle, you will ensure that each of these turtles will have enough resources for our project team to stay hard at work.  We will follow up with an “adoption turtle report” in the summer of 2015 and let you know how your turtle is doing. 

All adoptions will receive a tax receipt.

Guest blogger, author Marissa Stapley, speaks about her adventure of writing her latest book Mating for Life, her special connection with turtles and how she will is donate an autographed copy of Mating for Life to each person who symbolically adopts a turtle from the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Read Marissa's blog post

Important! Spotted turtles are threatened most significantly by habitat destruction (small, shallow wetlands are more easily filled or drained) and illegal collection as pets. Removal of adults from the population is a big problem for all turtles, but it is even worse when they are already so rare.

Name: Simon Notch ID: 1 (1) Gender: Male Carapace Mid-Length: 11.92 cm Mass: 208 g Notes: First Spotted of 2014	Name: Juliette Notch ID: 2 (2) Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 11.47 cm Mass: 226 g Notes: Found being courted by Romeo	Name: Romeo Notch ID: 4 (4) Gender: Male Carapace Mid-Length: 12.76 cm Mass: 232 g Notes: Found courting Juliette	Name: Kelsey Notch ID: 7 (7) Gender: Male Carapace Mid-Length: 11.31 cm Mass: 202 g Notes: Two very bright rows of spots on head
Name: Meryl Streep Notch ID: 10 (10) Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 11.48 cm Mass: 231 g Notes: Caught several times on the same day	Name: Brenan Notch ID: 20 (20) Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 12.75 cm Mass: 260 g Notes: Heaviest Spotted found in 2014	Name: Brian Seed Notch ID: 40 (40) Gender: Male Carapace Mid-Length: 12.60 cm Mass: 235 g Notes: Small gash on plastron	Name: Justin Boulder Notch ID: 48 (40+7+1) Gender: Male Carapace Mid-Length: 10.01 cm Mass: 148 g Notes: First spotted with more than one notch
Name: Raven Notch ID: 70 (70) Gender: Male Carapace Mid-Length: 13.00 cm Mass: 244 g Notes: Was found swimming	Name: Vulcan Notch ID: 4000 (4000) Gender: Male Carapace Mid-Length: 8.26 cm Mass: 88 g Notes: Smallest Spotted found in 2014

Important! Blanding's Turtles are slow breeders - they don't start to lay eggs until they are in their teens or twenties, but normally keep laying for a century or more - so deaths of breeding age adults can have major impacts on their populations.

Name: Theodore Notch ID: 11 (10+1) Gender: Male Carapace Mid-Length: 22.9 cm Mass: 1620 g Notes: Only Blanding’s being tracked in his wetland	Name: Gracie Notch ID: 22 (20+2) Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 19.6 cm Mass: 1020 g Notes: Moved from one study site to another on her own	Name: Hildy Notch ID: 2000 (2000) Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 21.6 cm Mass: 1510 g Notes: Found beside another female being tracked	Name: Martha Notch ID: 20 (20) Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 21.7 cm Mass: 1480 g Notes: Found mating with Galileo
Name: Mrs. White Notch ID: 101 (100+1) Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 21.9 cm Mass: 1530 g Notes: Found on a log with over 15 other turtles	Name: Strikeout Notch ID: 6 (4+2) Gender: Male Carapace Mid-Length: 23.0 cm Mass: 1570 g Notes: First new Blanding’s found in 2014	Name: Eila Notch ID: 104 (100+4) Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 18.4 cm Mass: 940 g Notes: Found beside a Painted turtle	Name: Galileo Notch ID: 700 (700) Gender: Male Carapace Mid-Length: 23.0 cm Mass: 1600 g Notes: Found mating with Martha
Name: Archie Notch ID: 78 (70+7+1) Gender: Male Carapace Mid-Length: 25.8 cm Mass: 2200 g Notes:	Name: Gregory Notch ID: 203 (200+2+1) Gender: Male Carapace Mid-Length: 24.7 cm Mass: 1840 g Notes:	Name: Griselda Notch ID: 204 (200+4) Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 14.25 cm Mass: 440 g Notes:	Name: Harriet Notch ID: 7700 (7000+700) Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 21.5 cm Mass: 1550 g Notes: Has an extra front plastron scute
Name: Betty Notch ID: 408 (400+7+1) Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 21.6 cm Mass: 1600 g Notes:	Name: Gravedigger Notch ID: 470 (400+70) Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 22.9 cm Mass: before laying = 1690 g after laying = 1550 g Notes:	Name: Aquawoman Notch ID: 440 (400+40) Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 22.9cm Mass: 1890 g Notes:	Name: Veronica Notch ID: 410 (400+10) Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 20.7cm Mass: 1390g Notes:
Name: Jean Notch ID: 70+40 = 110 Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 19.8 cm Mass: 1040 g Notes: Unusual for a Blanding’s, Jean's shell shows signs of pyramiding.	Name: Rupert Grint Notch ID: 70+40 = 110 Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 22.6 cm Mass: 1.6 kg Notes: Very shy, loves ice cream.

Important! It takes 15 to 20 years for a Snapping Turtle to reach maturity and as a result, adult mortality greatly affects their survival. Snapping Turtles tend to cross roads during nesting season as they prefer gravely or sandy areas to lay eggs. Roadsides are appealing locations but very risky for them!

Name: Momma Bear Notch ID: 224 Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: Mass: 5.6 kg Notes: She is the Momma of Rat Lake	Name: Trixie Turner Notch ID: 275 Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 31.9 cm Mass: 7.2 kg Notes: She has lost her left eye	Name: Peggy Notch ID: 201 Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 32 cm Mass: 7.9kg Notes: Nub left leg or peg leg, she is the "Cat Lake pirate"	Name: Bernice Notch ID: 26 Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 27.3 cm Mass: 5.50 kg Notes:
Name: Rosie Notch ID: 25 Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 29.8 cm Mass: 5.6kg Notes:	Name: Sally Notch ID: 23 Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 33.4 cm Mass: 7.8 kg Notes:	Name: Gertie Notch ID: 18 Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 27.1 cm Mass: 5 kg Notes:	Name: Bella Notch ID: 16 Gender: Female Carapace Mid-Length: 27 cm Mass: 4.8 kg Notes: