Sunbathingby Janette Slack
16" X 20"; Watercolor
In Manitoba where I live, Western Painted Turtles are an abundant species. Not so in other areas of the country, such as southwestern B.C., where these turtles are listed as endangered by COSEWIC (The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada).
The Painted Turtles' flagging numbers are a result of disturbed nesting activities (i.e. shoreline development), wetland drainage, and road building near wetland areas.
Other turtles of North America, such as the Leatherback Sea Turtle, the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle, and the Hawksbill Sea Turtle are currently facing extinction. This is particularly sad because turtles have been around for 215 million years, and are older than lizards, snakes, and crocodiles.
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