June 20, 2018 at 1:43 pm
[caption id="attachment_2970" align="alignright" width="321"]
A hatchling painted turtle rescued from the road.[/caption]
By MDIFW Wildlife Biologist Sarah Boyden
Driving through Embden the other morning, I passed several snapping turtles laying eggs along the sandy stretch of the road. Their shells were covered in mud and to their advantage, they looked like large rocks strewn along the roadside. Further up the road, I pulled over to help a medium-sized snapping turtle cross a busy trucking route. A trucker coming from the other direction had stopped oncoming traffic and leaned out his cab to tell me he’d been seeing a lot of turtles on the road lately. This one was lucky.
We have seven species of turtles in Maine. Some, like Blanding’s and spotted turtles are only found in the southern part of the state where traffic density is highest. Road mortality is a significant threat to both Blanding’s and spotted turtles, which are protected under Maine’s Endangered Species Act. The most common turtle species seen crossing the road are painted and snapping turtles. Both species range throughout the eastern U.S and take 10 years or more to reach breeding age. Although they are common, they also face high levels of road mortality.
June is turtle nesting season here in Maine. Turtles often cross busy roads to get to nesting locations and may require a little help to safely make it across.
[caption id="attachment_2971" align="alignleft" width="530"]
IF&W Derek Yorks shows the proper way to carry a snapping turtle. (Photo courtesy of Patrick Dockens, USFWS)[/caption]
Here’s how you can help. If you’re driving, find a safe place to pull off the road, put your hazard lights on and check for traffic before entering the roadway.
Smaller turtle species like painted turtles, or Blanding’s turtles can easily be picked up and carried across the road. Snapping turtles can grow to just over 30 pounds, have powerful bites and requires more care when handling. Don’t pick them up by their tails. It can injure and even paralyze larger turtles by damaging their vertebrae.
There is a convenient lip on the back of a snapping turtle’s shell found just above their back legs, on either side of their tail. Grabbing the edge of their shell from the back also keeps your hands away from their mouth and allows you to pick them up and carry them across the road. They can scratch you a bit with their back claws so gloves are a good idea. After carrying them across the road, face them in the same direction you found them traveling. They had a destination in mind when they decided to cross the road and will continue trying to get there.
To learn more about Maine’s turtles, visit: www.maine.gov/ifw/.
[caption id="attachment_2969" align="aligncenter" width="612"]
Handmade turtle crossing road sign, urging motorists to give turtles a brake.[/caption]
A hatchling painted turtle rescued from the road.[/caption]
By MDIFW Wildlife Biologist Sarah Boyden
Driving through Embden the other morning, I passed several snapping turtles laying eggs along the sandy stretch of the road. Their shells were covered in mud and to their advantage, they looked like large rocks strewn along the roadside. Further up the road, I pulled over to help a medium-sized snapping turtle cross a busy trucking route. A trucker coming from the other direction had stopped oncoming traffic and leaned out his cab to tell me he’d been seeing a lot of turtles on the road lately. This one was lucky.
We have seven species of turtles in Maine. Some, like Blanding’s and spotted turtles are only found in the southern part of the state where traffic density is highest. Road mortality is a significant threat to both Blanding’s and spotted turtles, which are protected under Maine’s Endangered Species Act. The most common turtle species seen crossing the road are painted and snapping turtles. Both species range throughout the eastern U.S and take 10 years or more to reach breeding age. Although they are common, they also face high levels of road mortality.
June is turtle nesting season here in Maine. Turtles often cross busy roads to get to nesting locations and may require a little help to safely make it across.
[caption id="attachment_2971" align="alignleft" width="530"] IF&W Derek Yorks shows the proper way to carry a snapping turtle. (Photo courtesy of Patrick Dockens, USFWS)[/caption]
Here’s how you can help. If you’re driving, find a safe place to pull off the road, put your hazard lights on and check for traffic before entering the roadway.
Smaller turtle species like painted turtles, or Blanding’s turtles can easily be picked up and carried across the road. Snapping turtles can grow to just over 30 pounds, have powerful bites and requires more care when handling. Don’t pick them up by their tails. It can injure and even paralyze larger turtles by damaging their vertebrae.
There is a convenient lip on the back of a snapping turtle’s shell found just above their back legs, on either side of their tail. Grabbing the edge of their shell from the back also keeps your hands away from their mouth and allows you to pick them up and carry them across the road. They can scratch you a bit with their back claws so gloves are a good idea. After carrying them across the road, face them in the same direction you found them traveling. They had a destination in mind when they decided to cross the road and will continue trying to get there.
To learn more about Maine’s turtles, visit: www.maine.gov/ifw/.
[caption id="attachment_2969" align="aligncenter" width="612"] Handmade turtle crossing road sign, urging motorists to give turtles a brake.[/caption]Categories