Helping a Turtle Cross the Road
From April to September turtles are on the move! You can make a huge impact by being on the lookout for turtles crossing the road during these pivotal months. Helping a turtle cross the road can truly be the difference between life or death for that individual.
Important Points:
- š¢ 1) Always place them directly across the street in the direction they were headed.
- š¢ 2) NEVER relocate. Turtles are very tied to their local environments, and moving them drastically reduces their chances of survival.
- š¢ 3) Keep low to the ground in case you lose your grip. They are surprisingly strong and can scratch the skin, and you don't want to end up dropping and hurting them.
- š¢ 4) NEVER pick up by the tail. This will damage their backbone.
Handling Tips:
How to hold most turtles (not a snapping turtle)
All native turtle species in New Hampshire can be picked up using the very back edges of the carapace (top shell). See the instruction video below to see an example of this. Turtles in New Hampshire, with the exception of the snapping turtle, can be held in the middle of the shell as well, as shown in the above image. Default to handling the back of the shell if unsure about species.
When picked up, many turtles will retract into their shell, while others will flail and try to get away. Unlike snapping turtles, other native species do not have long reach with their necks, so as long as your hand is not in front of their mouth, you should not get bitten. They do however have surprisingly strong pushing power, and can scratch the skin, so please always stay low to the ground in case you lose your grip, so that you do not end up hurting them.
Place them on the other side of the road in the direction they were headed, and your work is complete. You just saved that turtle!
If you would like to share your experience, check us on Facebook because we plan to run an annual Turtle Crossing contest which you can enter. Please never disclose any specific location information (no more specific than the town they were found), especially on social media, as turtles are under major threat of poaching worldwide and sharing locations of our native turtles puts a target on their backs.
To learn how to help snapping turtles, which require special instructions, read this article on How to Help Snapping Turtles Cross the Road.Find an injured turtle?
Your personal safety is paramount. When safe, get the turtle out of harmās way and place in a dry box (or the Turtle Kit described below). Save the location - very important! Find a wildlife rehabilitator.
- š¢ 1) Container (plastic tote or cardboard box)
- š¢ 2) Towels (along the bottom and for hiding)
- š¢ 3) Bottled water for dampening the towel (NEVER transport in water)
- š¢ 4) Hand sanitizer for your hands