iN PHOTOS: Western painted turtles popping up in ponds around Okanagan, Kamloops | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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iN PHOTOS: Western painted turtles popping up in ponds around Okanagan, Kamloops

A group of western painted turtles sun themselves on a log at Kitley Lake in the South Okanagan in spring.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Lilian Blashko

It's mating season for western painted turtles. They're appearing in ponds and lakes in Kamloops and the Okanagan.

With their brightly striped cheeks and orange mosaic designs on the undersides of their shells, the turtles are a beloved reptile for nature lovers and photographers.

They are also an important part of wetland ecosystems, the only native turtle in the province blue listed, meaning they’re vulnerable to declining populations.

This turtle was spotted in a pond in the Okanagan in April.
This turtle was spotted in a pond in the Okanagan in April.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Stew Turcotte

Western painted turtles are at risk of getting squished by traffic as they make migratory journeys across roads to find mates and nesting sites.

Studies have shown that a mere five per cent increase in annual mortality is enough to cause an entire turtle population to decline.

READ MORE: Chip N' Dale: Rescued chipmunk babies in care of Kamloops wildlife health centre

Western painted turtles sunbathe on rocks in Kamloops.
Western painted turtles sunbathe on rocks in Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Lyn MacDonald

The conservancy agency encourages motorists to slow down when they see a turtle on the road and make sure to safely steer around it. When helping a turtle cross the road move it in the direction it was going in and once you are done moving it, leave it be to avoid causing it stress.

If you have photographs of pond life in your neck of the woods, send them to news@infonews.ca.

More than 30 western painted turtles sit on a log at Kitley Lake in the South Okanagan in April.
More than 30 western painted turtles sit on a log at Kitley Lake in the South Okanagan in April.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Lilian Blashko

 A western painted turtle basks in a pond on Shuswap Lake Road near Kamloops in May.
A western painted turtle basks in a pond on Shuswap Lake Road near Kamloops in May.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Valerie Walsh

A mallard duck shared a grassy spot with a western painted turtle in the Penticton Channel.
A mallard duck shared a grassy spot with a western painted turtle in the Penticton Channel.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Jodi Forster

To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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