How is Climate Change Impacting Turtles

Thank you to Meadow Funkenhauser for guest authoring this month’s blog post

Climate change is an issue that will shape the future of our planet and all of its inhabitants. Long term shifts in weather patterns and temperatures will have a dramatic effect, especially on those species like turtles who are heavily influenced by environmental conditions.

Northern Map Turtle hatchling

In Ontario we have 8 different species of turtles, with 7 of them being considered to be species at risk (Toronto Zoo, n.d.). When turtles lay their eggs, the temperature plays an important role in sex determination, that is whether the hatchlings will become male or female turtles. Research has shown that eggs incubated in the nest at conditions under about 27°C will be male, and at conditions above 31°C will be female (US Dept. of Commerce, 2017). At the temperature ranges in between, the sex of the hatchlings will vary (US Dept. of Commerce, 2017). A key threat posed by climate change is that as warmer summer conditions persist, less males will be produced. This decline in male turtle hatchlings will result in less copulation, or reproduction occurring, and will contribute to an overall decrease in the different species’ populations.

Midland painted turtle basking on a log in a body of water

Climate change will also greatly influence the spaces in which our turtle species inhabit. Conservation Ontario has identified many threats posed that will affect turtles if climate change remains unaddressed within the province. These are threats to freshwater quality, changes in river flows resulting in more drought conditions and severe weather patterns, as well as a reduction in the surface area that wetlands take up within the province (Conservation Ontario, n.d.). The identified threats will ultimately reduce Ontario’s biodiversity and further contribute to the endangerment of our more sensitive species, such as turtles.

Climate change poses a serious threat to the future of turtle populations across the world and it is up to us to take action to protect our shared futures. Reducing our ecological footprint through decreased dependence on greenhouse gases, more plant forward diets, and a greater focus on conservation and land management will help us to ensure that these amazing animals are around for years to come.

Written by Meadow Funkenhauser

References:
Climate Change. (n.d.). https://conservationontario.ca/policy-priorities/climate-change#:~:text=Rising%20temperatures% 20and%20changing%20precipitation,Reduced%20wetlands

Ontario’s turtle families and species at risk. (n.d.). https://www.torontozoo.com/pdfs/tic/cur3.pdf

US Department of Commerce, N. O. and A. A. (2017, April 21). What causes a sea turtle to be born male or female?. NOAA’s National Ocean Service. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/temperature-dependent.html#:~:text=Most%20turtles%20ar e%20subject%20to%20temperature%2Ddependent%20sex%20determination.&text=In%20mos t%20species%2C%20sex%20is,crocodiles%20is%20determined%20after%20fertilization.