Biology
- Turtles appeared on Earth about 230 million years ago.
- Their shell is made from bony plates and is connected to their spine and ribs.
- The temperature at which the eggs were incubated determines the sex of the newborns.
- Females are larger and live longer than males. It allows them to lay bigger eggs and thus give birth to stronger offspring that have a better chance of survival. Furthermore, the size difference between males and females allows them to feed on different organisms (females eat bigger preys) and thus avoid food competition among them.
- The shell is divided in two sections: the upper part is called carapace, and the lower part plastron.
Québec species:
- Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
- Common Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus)
- Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata)
- Wood Turtle (Clemmys insculpta)
- Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingi)
- Common Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica)
- Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
- Eastern Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera)
- Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
- Red eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is an introduced specie.
“I bought a pet turtle, but I want to get rid of it. Should I set it free?”
NO, certainly not! Pet shop turtles (red eared sliders) come from the Mississippi valley area. You are not doing it a favor by setting it free, since it will not survive more than 2 years here because of the cold temperature to which it is not adapted. Furthermore, by releasing it, you risk to modify the local ecosystem. If your turtle was diseased, it can bring its problems in its new environment and spread them to animals that are not adapted to resist these diseases. Pet turtles can also compete with native species for food and shelter and thus lower their survival rate.
“Then what should I do?”
If you can't find someone to give it to, bring it back to your local pet shop.
If they refuse it, Magazoo can take them.