Guidelines for Landowners in Residential Areas

Landowner guidelines for improving habitat for the Western Painted Turtle in urban and rural areas

Learn how to identify native Western Painted Turtle from introduced sliders (see ID Sheet)
Document species and numbers of turtles using your property
- Document observations with photos when possible
- If you have turtles on your property, note when turtles appear in the spring and when they disappear in the fall
- What information is needed? The main information is date, location, your name or contactl, and photo of the turtle you saw; additional information such as the time of day or weather conditions are useful but not essential (link to datasheet)

Manage shoreline and pond vegetation
- Increase exposure of the pond to sunlight by trimming shoreline trees or shrubs
- Encourage or plant native shore-line or aquatic plants
- Add soil to increase productivity
- Control in-growth of pond by vegetation

Maintain or improve water quality
- Reduce or re-direct run-off
- Reduce eutrophication
- Maintain septic systems in good working order

Maintain or improve pond structure and accessibility to turtles
- Increase deeper areas and clear vegetation from ponds that are in-grown with vegetation
- Create shallow areas and make steep banks more gentle in portions of the pond
- Maintain accessibility of turtles to nesting areas on land; where shoreline walls or other barriers exist, create gaps

Install turtle basking sites
- Install basking platforms or logs in sunniest areas of the pond and anchor them into the bottom or shoreline vegetation
- Slanted basking structures are encouraged as they allow the turtles to climb up entirely or completely out of the water

Minimize disturbance
- Retain a portion of the shoreline inaccessible; avoid circling the entire perimeter with trails or manicured lawns/gardens
- Place docks and viewing points in selected accessible areas of the shoreline

Maintain or enhance existing nesting areas
- Identify nesting habitats on the property, so that disturbance from construction and yard maintenance activities can be avoided
- Maintain open nature of the nesting area to ensure a good exposure to sunlight
- Maintain sparse ground cover and open, non-vegetated patches; weeding may be necessary at an appropriate time - PS. after previous year's hatchlings have emerged but before females have started nesting in spring.
- Monitor the effectiveness of the actions

Create new nesting habitat
- Select an exposed, sunny and safe site close to water (but above flood level)and accessible to turtles; avoid sites where turtles have to cross a road
- Clear the site from vegetation and bring in sandy substrates, as needed.
- Construction can take place anytime but is best done shortly before the nesting season in spring
- Maintain the site clear of weeds and disturbance - Monitor the use of the site by turtles

Protect nesting sites from disturbance
- Place docks and other structures away from nesting areas and redirect paths
- Fence nesting habitat or individual nests, if needed, but ensure that turtles can move freely under the fence
- Manage pets and prevent them from digging and running in nesting areas

Document turtles using the restored basking sites or nesting areas
- Record numbers of turtles or their sign seen at restored sites
- Document your observations with photos when possible

Document condition of the restored habitat
- Do the sites remain functional over time? - Was any action, such as weeding of the nesting areas, undertaken?

Discourage turtles from nesting in unsafe locations, such as busy parking sites or driveways
In some cases where turtles are nesting in unsafe sites such as roads, turtles can be discouraged from nesting there and new nesting habitat can be created nearby
Inform family, friends, and visitors of the possible presence of turtles on roads, especially during the nesting season in spring
Place turtle crossing signs where turtles are seen crossing roads