Overview
Common Name (English) | Common Name (French) | Scientific Name | Legal Status | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mudpuppy | necture tacheté | Necturus maculosus | N/A | Few recent atlas records |
Red-spotted Newt | triton vert | Notophthalmus v. viridescens | N/A | Few recent atlas records |
Jefferson/Blue-spotted Salamander complex | salamandre de Jefferson/à points bleus complexe | Ambystoma jeffersonianum-laterale "complex" | N/A | Few recent atlas records |
Spotted Salamander | salamandre maculée | Ambystoma maculatum | N/A | Few recent atlas records |
Northern Two-lined Salamander | salamandre à deux lignes | Eurycea bislineata | N/A | N/A |
Four-toed Salamander | salamandre à quatre orteils | Hemidactylium scutatum | N/A | No recent atlas records; previously in extreme eastern end only |
Eastern (Northern) Red-backed Salamander | salamandre cendrée | Plethodon cinereus | N/A | N/A |
American Toad | crapaud d'Amérique | Bufo (Anaxyrus) americanus | N/A | N/A |
(Eastern) Gray Treefrog | rainette versicolore | Hyla versicolor | N/A | N/A |
Spring Peeper | rainette crucifère | Pseudacris crucifer | N/A | N/A |
Western (Midland) Chorus Frog | rainette faux-grillon de l'Ouest | Pseudacris triseriata | Threatened (CAN); Not at risk (ON) | Protected under SARA on federal lands only |
Wood Frog | grenouille des bois | Rana (Lithobates) sylvatica | N/A | N/A |
Northern Leopard Frog | grenouille léopard | Rana (Lithobates) pipiens | N/A | N/A |
Pickerel Frog | grenouille des marais | Rana (Lithobates) palustris | N/A | No recent atlas records |
Green Frog | grenouille verte | Rana (Lithobates) clamitans melanotus | N/A | N/A |
Mink Frog | grenouille du Nord | Rana (Lithobates) septentrionalis | N/A | Few recent atlas records |
Bullfrog | ouaouaron | Rana (Lithobates) catesbeiana | N/A | N/A |
(Common) Snapping Turtle | tortue serpentine | Chelydra serpentina | Special concern (CAN/ON) | N/A |
Eastern Musk Turtle (Stinkpot) | tortue musquée | Sternotherus odoratus | Special concern (CAN/ON) | Few recent atlas records |
Midland (Northern) Painted Turtle | tortue peinte | Chrysemys picta marginata | Special concern (CAN); Not at risk (ON) | N/A |
Red-eared Slider | tortue à oreilles rouges | Trachemys scripta elegans | N/A | Non-native species |
Northern (Common) Map Turtle | tortue géographique | Graptemys geographica | Special concern (CAN/ON) | Occurs along large rivers (Ottawa, Rideau, Lower Jock) |
Blanding's Turtle | tortue mouchetée | Emydoidea blandingii | Endangered (CAN) Threatend (ON) | N/A |
Spotted Turtle | tortue ponctuée | Clemmys guttata | Endangered (CAN/ON) | Few atlas records from Ottawa |
Wood Turtle | tortue des bois | Glyptemys insculpta | Threatened (CAN); Endangered (ON) | Historic records only in Ottawa |
Spiny Softshell | tortue-molle à épines | Apalone spinifera | Endangered (CAN/ON) | Few historical records from Ottawa River (all outside Ottawa) |
Eastern Gartersnake | couleuvre rayée | Thamnophis s. sirtalis | N/A | N/A |
Eastern Ribbonsnake | couleuvre mince | Thamnophis sauritus | Special concern (CAN/ON) | Few atlas records from Ottawa |
Northern Watersnake | couleuvre d'eau | Nerodia s. sipedon | N/A | N/A |
Northern Redbelly Snake | couleuvre à ventre rouge | Storeria o. occipitomaculata | N/A | N/A |
Smooth Greensnake | couleuvre verte | Opheodrys (Liochlorophis) vernalis | N/A | Few recent atlas records |
Northern Ringneck Snake | couleuvre à collier | Diadophis punctatus edwardsii | N/A | Few recent atlas records |
(Eastern) Milksnake | couleuvre tachetée | Lampropeltis t. triangulum | Special concern (CAN) Not at risk (ON) | Few recent atlas records |
Based on Ontario Herpetofaunal Summary Atlas
Help conserve Ottawa’s turtles
Turtles are usually found in or near water. During the spring and summer they may travel on land to find new homes, search for food, or lay their eggs. Unfortunately, many are killed by cars while trying to cross roads or lay their eggs in the gravel shoulders. They are also very vulnerable to predators while laying their eggs. Turtles take many years to mature, so these losses of breeding females are a serious threat to the species as a whole. Almost every native turtle species is now considered to be “at risk” in Ontario. Please treat them with respect!
If you encounter a nesting turtle, please don’t disturb her. If the nest is in a high-risk location such as in a public playground or road median, it may need to be moved by a licensed professional. The Canadian Wildlife Federation may be able to assist with nest rescue. If the nest is on your property, you can build a protective cover to keep it safe from raccoons, skunks and other nest predators. Instructions on making and installing a nest protector can be found here: Canadian Wildlife Federation - turtle nest protector
Ottawa is home to several kinds of turtle, but these are the four most frequently seen:
Midland Painted Turtle – has a smooth, low-domed shell up to 18 cm (7.5 in) long with reddish-orange patterns around edge. Head, tail and legs are marked with yellow or reddish-orange stripes. Markings are brightest on young animals, fading with age. Although painted turtles are not currently listed as a species at risk in Ontario, it is illegal to hunt or trap them under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997.
Snapping Turtle – large, bulky turtle with a rough, ridged shell up to 45 cm (18 in) long. Muddy greyish-brown to black in colour. Massive head, tail and legs cannot be withdrawn into shell. May bite if disturbed on land. A species of special concern both federally and provincially.
Northern Map Turtle – has a keeled shell up to 28 cm (11 in) long with yellow markings and a jagged rear edge. Head, tail and legs are marked with yellow stripes. Markings are brightest on young animals, fading with age. A species of special concern both federally and provincially. It is illegal to hunt or trap them under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997.
Blanding’s Turtle – note the bright yellow chin and throat, and the highly domed, speckled shell up to 28 cm (11 in) in length. This is a federally and provincially threatened species, protected in Ontario under the Endangered Species Act, 2007. It is illegal to kill, harm, harass, collect or possess a Blanding’s Turtle. Sightings can be reported to the Natural Heritage Information Centre at Report rare species (animals and plants). Photographs and precise locations are helpful.
To report violations of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1997, or the Endangered Species Act, 2007, call 1-877-847-7667 (1-877-TIPS-MNR).
For more information about turtles, visit Ontario Nature’s Reptiles and Amphibians of Ontario.