Snapping Turtle Crossing in Fitzroy Provincial Park - Fitzroy Harbour, ON - Turtle Crossings on Waymarking.com

While in the National Capital Region for the Canada 150 Celebrations (July 2017), and camping at Fitzroy Provincial Park, we saw this large snapping turtle heading across the park road. The turtle was slowly heading towards a forested area towards, heading away from the Carp River (from where it likely had just come from) - likely a female heading to a nesting location. We didn't move the turtle but instead stood guard on the campground road until it was safely across.

Snapping turtle
Scientific name: Chelydra serpentina

Status: Special Concern
"Special Concern" means the species lives in the wild in Ontario, is not endangered or threatened, but may become threatened or endangered due to a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.
Date added to the Species at Risk in Ontario List: September 10, 2009

What it looks like
The Snapping Turtle is Canada's largest freshwater turtle, reaching an average length of 20-36 cm and a weight of 4.5-16.0 kg. Snapping turtles have large black, olive or brown shells typically covered in algae. Their tails, which can be longer than their bodies, have dinosaur-like triangular crests along their length. Hatchlings are about the size of a loonie and are smaller and darker than adults, with pronounced ridges along the length of their shell.

What threatens it
It takes 15 to 20 years for a Snapping Turtle to reach maturity. As a result, adult mortality greatly affects the species' survival. During the summer, many turtles cross roads in search of mates, food and nest sites. This is risky for turtles as they are too slow to get out of the way of moving vehicles. Snapping turtles are also sometimes intentionally persecuted. Eggs in nests around urban and agricultural areas are subject to predators such as raccoons and striped skunks.

Source: https://www.ontario.ca/page/snapping-turtle

Species Link: [Web Link] How often turtles cross: Months most seen crossing: May - October

Visit Instructions:
Describe what happened. Example
"Mother Blanding had made her nest between the goldenrod and bluestem outside my window late last June.
By chance we were sitting on the porch when we noticed little blandings in the same location we had seen the mother take 2 months earlier."

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