Turtle Tuesdays: 14 facts you may not know about turtles

Long-living, slow but steady, the freshwater turtle usually wins the race as one of our favourite species. What better time to bone up on turtle facts than WWF’s People and Water Month? Safeguarding Canada’s lakes, streams, rivers and ponds helps protect freshwater habitat for this fascinating species. So test your turtle knowledge!

1)  Turtles can be found on every continent except for Antarctica.

European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis); Greece © Michel Gunther / WWF-Canon
European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis); Greece © Michel Gunther / WWF-Canon

2)  Turtles are almost as old as dinosaurs! The oldest turtle fossil can be dated back 220 million years, meaning it showed up 23 million years after the dinosaurs.

Loggerhead turtle swimming. Bazaruto Marine National Park, Mozambique © Meg Gawler / WWF-Canon
Loggerhead turtle swimming. Bazaruto Marine National Park, Mozambique
© Meg Gawler / WWF-Canon

3)  Whether a turtle is born male or female is usually determined by the temperature of the nest they incubate in. More males are produced at cooler temperatures while females are produced at warmer temperatures.

Baby Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) hatchling breaking out of its egg in Mapo Beach, French Guiana © Roger Leguen / WWF-Canon
Baby Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) hatchling breaking out of its egg in Mapo Beach, French Guiana © Roger Leguen / WWF-Canon

4)  Turtles are a long-lived species. Snapping turtles may live to over 70 years old!

Snapping turtle, Ontario. © Kurt Reinhardt
Female snapping turtle, Ontario. © Kurt Reinhardt

5)  Contrary to popular belief, turtles cannot climb out of the shell! Their shell is part of their skeleton — their ribs, sternum, and spine form part of the shell.

Close up of a Blandings turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), in the Rouge Valley, Ontario, Canada. © Nicole RICHARDS / WWF-Canada
Close up of a Blandings turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), in the Rouge Valley, Ontario, Canada.
© Nicole RICHARDS / WWF-Canada

6)  Some turtles are able to fully withdraw into their shells and therefore protect themselves from predators. Others, like snapping turtles, don’t fit completely into their shell and parts of their body are left exposed and at risk to predators.

European pond turtle.  © Anton Vorauer / WWF-Canon
European pond turtle. © Anton Vorauer / WWF-Canon

7)  The Eastern Spiny Softshell turtle is the only species of softshell turtle in Canada. Its shell or carapace is leathery and flexible rather than bony. It is found in a few, very small and isolated populations in Ontario and Quebec.

Eastern spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera), Canada. © J. D. Taylor / WWF-Canada
Eastern spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera), Canada.
© J. D. Taylor / WWF-Canada

8)  Freshwater turtles do not reach sexual maturity until they are 8 to 20 years old.

Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) on a log, North America. © J. D. Taylor / WWF-Canada
Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) on a log, North America. © J. D. Taylor / WWF-Canada

9)  Due to the enormous pressure on turtles from roads, habitat loss, and other threats, like the pet trade, only about one per cent of turtle hatchlings reach sexual maturity.

Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Hatchlings emerging after 47-66 days of incubation. Turtle Islands National Park, Malaysia, Borneo. © Martin Harvey / WWF-Canon
Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) hatchlings emerging after 47-66 days of incubation. Turtle Islands National Park, Malaysia, Borneo. © Martin Harvey / WWF-Canon

10)  Exotic turtles from the pet trade are now found living in Canada’s waters. The Red-Eared Slider is a common pet turtle and is commonly released into rivers and ponds once the owner decides they no longer want the responsibility of owning a pet. These exotic turtles can introduce new diseases and out-compete native turtles for habitat and food.

Red-eared terrapin (Chrysemys scripta elegans) © Anton Vorauer / WWF-Canon
Red-eared terrapin (Chrysemys scripta elegans) © Anton Vorauer / WWF-Canon

11)  Some turtles – like the Eastern Painted Turtle – have the unique ability to breathe through their back end! These turtles and Australia’s Fitzroy river turtle can breathe through their cloacas (the opening used for excretion, urination, and laying eggs).

Eastern Painted Turtle © Emily Giles / WWF-Canada
Eastern Painted Turtle © Emily Giles / WWF-Canada

12)  Turtles are ectotherms (more commonly known as cold blooded) and are unable to regulate their own body temperature. They must bask in the sunshine to get warmed up, or dive into the water or bury in mud to cool down.

River turtles (Podocnemis unifilis) sunbathing on San Martín River, Bolivia. © Gustavo Ybarra / WWF-Canon
River turtles (Podocnemis unifilis) sunbathing on San Martín River, Bolivia.
© Gustavo Ybarra / WWF-Canon

13)  The snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in Canada. Its diet consists of about 90 per cent dead plant and animal matter, so they play an important role keeping lakes and wetlands clean.

Snapping turtle. © Maureen Lilley
Snapping turtle. © Maureen Lilley

14)  Turtles are considered to be the most endangered group of species on the planet! Saving just one individual can make a difference because they live long and take a long time to reach sexual maturity.

Adult Stinkpot Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) near the Ottawa River, Quebec, Canada © D. RODRIGUE / WWF-Canada
Adult Stinkpot Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) near the Ottawa River, Quebec, Canada
© D. RODRIGUE / WWF-Canada

Learn more about how helping safeguard Canada’s freshwater can make a difference for turtles and other species.