Kinosternidae in Ontario

skinheaddave · 10-15-03, 12:03 AM

Hey there,

I was wondering if there were any restrictions on keeping Kinosternidae at the provincial or federal level other than that I can't keep Sternotherus odoratus due to its being native to Ontario? This family of turtles really appeals to me.

Cheers,
Dave

icex19 · 10-15-03, 04:33 AM

You can keep kinos in Ontario. And yes, Sternotherus odoratus is illegal to keep in Ontario since it's a native species.

This is unfortunate, since it is a great turtle. Has a great personality, looks, and small size.

I really dislike the turtle laws we have in Ontario. There are so many good species we cannot keep

Turtle Matt · 10-15-03, 09:50 AM

The only species we can't keep are native ones that are protected for good reasons..I love the law.
Matt

Wu-Gwei · 10-15-03, 03:48 PM

So, try and get other musks, just not the Sternotherus odoratus... Loggerhead and Razzorback, both are pretty cool. Just need to find some... lol and you can keep any of the Kinosternon spp. None of them are native to Ontario.

Cheers,
JJ

P.S. Matt, is that sarcasm? I like the fact that the native species are protected, but I'd love to get some CB spotteds, blandings, Common musk...

Turtle Matt · 10-16-03, 09:53 AM

Nope,no sarcasm...I work at a petstore and lots of people come in saying they've caught native turtles,so I always try to convince them to let them go...That point is usually their decision maker and they usually say they'll let them go. I think alot of our species are very nice, but I like the fact that we have laws on them protecting them.
Matt

skinheaddave · 10-16-03, 10:09 AM

Matt,

If the turtle has spent any time in captivity, releasing it may not be a viable option. This is especially true if it has not been kept in quarantine. The concern is that it will aquire an exotic parasite or that it will develop a high load of a native parasite and that reintroduction to the wild constitutes a hazard to the wild population.

Cheers,
Dave