An Incredible Week of Ontario Herping (Part 3)

Starting out like any other day, I didn't expect this particular Tuesday to be anything special. 

But I'm glad it was.

I went the whole morning and early afternoon going about my business for the day. it wasn't until the late afternoon, when I was driving, that I noticed a little lump up on the road ahead. Being at prime nesting time for turtles I knew this was one of these reptiles. At first I thought it was a small female Painted Turtle but when I got up to it I saw that it was something different. It was an Eastern Musk Turtle!

I hadn't seen one of these yet this year, so it was great to have this opportunity and even better that I was able to save the individual from oncoming traffic.

Eastern Musk Turtle - Ontario
 I quickly moved it across the busy road and it went on it's way into the wetland on the other side.


Eastern Musk Turtle - Ontario
This was a particularly interesting and unique observation. Musk Turtles hardly ever leave the water and females are known to usually only exit the water to lay eggs in muskrat mounds or on banks within a few meters of the water. But this individual, was crossing over a road between two water bodies, some 20+ meters apart. And if that isn't odd enough, the turtle was a male! It wasn't even a female looking to nest, only a male traveling between habitat. In any case, I just consider myself, and the turtle, very lucky that I was in the right place at the right time.

With the feeling of excitement coming across the musk turtle I decided to further try my luck at searching for the most endangered and rare turtle in Ontario.

The location I wanted to search was private property, so I first asked the owner if I would be allowed to visit and search the land. With permission, I went on my way all excited and prepared to see something I had only hoped I would one day see.

As my search dragged on for the better part of an hour I was getting tired and thought about giving up as I had now searched almost all of the accessible areas of the property.

In my mind I remember thinking that I wasn't going to find one and that they must not be in the area. I'm not sure why I felt that way after only an hour of searching for the provinces most rare turtle species... but I did. So I gave up.

And when I give up, good things seem to happen. Walking back to my car while talking to my girlfriend on the phone, telling her all about how I didn't see the turtles and was disappointed about it, I saw a small glimpse of heaven lying in the grass by my feet.

A Wood Turtle!


Wood Turtle - Ontario
I think I screamed a little and hung up the phone without saying goodbye to grab my camera as quickly as possible. I wasn't worried about the turtle leaving as she seemed quite content, but I was simply too excited. Once I took her picture she started moving and I snapped a few more.


Wood Turtle - Ontario 
After that I just sat and watched in awe as she went about her business, heading back into the thicker bushes.

Oh and, for added measure, I also found a Mink Frog that day.

Mink Frog - Ontario

Happy herping,

Ryan Wolfe
Location: Ontario, Canada

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