A trip to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (20171116) What a great place.

On our recent trip to Toronto the bride allowed to make a short side-trip to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. What a terrific spot to visit and get to see some turtles. I was able to meet Donnell, one of the many folks that work there. They were getting ready for an afternoon event so I didn't want to stay very long. I did get to meet several of their more permanent guests like this little Painted turtle. It has quite a bit of damage on its shell.

The Painted shared a large tank with this beautiful Blanding Turtle that only has one eye. This is my first ever sighting of a Blanding Turtle!

In a separate tank right next door is a turtle we don't get to see in Nova Scotia, is a Map turtle. Named as the stripes on their legs, shell, head, and neck look like contour lines on a map. This was another first for me to see.

They also have a 35 year old male Snapping turtle. It was kept as a pet for almost 30 years, and has been at the centre for 5 more. While it is healthy and robust, all those years in captivity have taken the "turtle" out of this Snapper. He doesn't know how to hunt or defend himself so he cannot be released to the wild. He is a beautiful large specimen.

Next up is yet a third new turtle to me, and another we don't get here in Nova Scotia.

These little guys are only about 10 centimeters long, so even fully grown they are quite small.

So take few minutes and visit their web site: OTCC
They are doing a great job and have helped almost 900 turtles in 2017. They do damage repair, incubation of eggs, and a lot of education!  What a terrific crew.
I also got to see my first Wood turtle, but it was in pretty rough shape.
Take some time today, and put a little wild in your life!
Turbo