How to Help Turtles

If you find a turtle that is in the road or on the side about to cross, helping them get across the street in the direction they are headed can save their life.

First, your personal safety is paramount. When it is safe, pick up the turtle and get them to safety. On the side where they were traveling to, place them in a safe location on the side of the road.

Turtles should only be moved out of harm's way. Please do not attempt to move them further. Turtles are intimately tied to their local environments and should NEVER be relocated. They know where they are going, we are simply helping them navigate the roadways.

If you do run across any injured turtles, you can save their life by taking the time to get them to a wildlife rehabilitator.

Turtles are incredibly resilient, and can survive very severe injuries if given the chance. They also take a long time to pass away, and will suffer for a long time on the side of the road before perishing. Even if that turtle does not survive, getting them to a rehabber is an act of mercy, as pain medication can be administered right away. And in the best case scenario, they may recover and be able to return home again!

It is critical to the long-term survival of our native turtle species that individuals never be taken from the wild. If you think a turtle needs help, please call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator right away.

Releasing pet turtles is a terrible idea for many reasons! Releasing pet turtles has resulted in the spread of deadly diseases and mass mortalities of wildlife. It's critical to the health of our native turtle species that pets not be released into the wild. Certain diseases that we know decimate turtle populations can also infect amphibians and fish, so the affects are far reaching. Serious, unrepairable damage could be done to that local ecosystem.

It's also important not to release pet turtles because it's cruel to THEM. That turtle very likely will not survive in the wild. That is especially true in a place like New Hampshire, with extremely cold times of the year. Non-native species especially will have no adaptations to survive here. And in the best case scenario for that turtle, where they survive, they may now be spreading disease and/or competing for valuable resources with our native turtles, who are already struggling with their populations declining.

It's becoming increasingly common for us to receive turtles who have had their shell gnawed on by a dog. Turtle shells are made of bone, so to our furry companions, that's just a big bone they can chew on. It's important to keep an eye on your pups when they are outside - these injuries are often fatal if not caught quickly.

During nesting season (May-July), you may find a turtle nesting in your yard. It's vital she be given the space to lay her eggs. Turtles are very particular in their nesting requirements, and if she is forced to move on, she is likely to travel far, crossing roads, to find a new location to lay her eggs. Keep pets away and give her space to lay her eggs, and she will be on her way home. Hatchling turtles do not receive parental care, so she will not be back this year.

Another incident we see is injuries from lawn mowers. Help wildilfe by doing a survey of your lawn before starting mowing, to identify if any critters are using your grass for cover. Box turtles in particular are known to be affected by this, and are already critically endangered in the state.