Helping Snapping Turtles 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.
It is super important to help snapping turtles in particular because people hit them on purpose due to their fear and misunderstanding. Snapping turtles are defensive on land but they are just vulnerable and scared.
To get information on how to help turtles other than snappers,read this article on How to Help Turtles Cross the Road.
Important Points:
- 1. Always place them directly across the street in the direction they were headed.
- 2. NEVER relocate. Turtles are very tied to their local environments, and moving them drastically reduces their chances of survival.
- 3. Snapping turtles have long claws that can scratch the skin. It is important to keep low to the ground, so you don't end up hurting them if you lose your grip.
- 4. NEVER pick up by the tail! This will damage their backbone.
Soapbox
Yasmin, a snapping turtle patient who has since been released, showcases how little protection the bottom shell (plastron) provides for snapping turtles.
Snapping turtles are defensive (NOT aggressive) out of water. Snapping turtles have a reduced plastron (bottom shell) and are not able to retract into their shell effectively like many other turtles can. You can see in this photo of Yasmin, the plastron (bottom shell) offers minimal protection to snapping turtles - there's lots of exposed tissue just hanging out there. This makes snapping turtles very vulnerable at a young age. Their 'snap' is the only thing keeping them alive!
Wildlife does not understand our intentions when we try to help them, and see us as a predator trying to do them harm. Therefore, it is best to assume all snapping turtles will 'snap' when approached - this is a healthy response to danger. This does not make them malicious, and in fact they are exceptionally calm once their initial fear dissipates, though you won't see that side in a quick turtle crossing interaction. Rehabbers often lovingly refer to them as 'swamp puppies' because they are such gentle giants.
It is important to help snapping turtles cross the road because they are most commonly hit on purpose, due to people's fear of them. Snapping turtles do not deserve the vitriol attributed to them - they are just trying to live like the rest of us, and are a critical part of the ecosystem.
Methods
How to hold a snapping turtle (screenshot of Toronto Zoo's awesome instructional video)
There are many methods to help snapping turtles cross the street, but in general always make sure to only handle the back 1/3 of the body. Snapping turtles have long necks and can reach the sides of their shell, so this is why we want to avoid this area.
That being said, NEVER pick up by the tail, this can cause serious spinal injuries or even paralysis.
Watchthis informational video by the Toronto Zoo(embedded below) which goes through many ways to help a snapping turtle cross the road with minimal handling involved. The screenshot shows one method of picking up a snapping turtle, gripping the back margins of the carapace (top shell). You can use this method to lift them onto a car mat or towel which you can then drag across the street, as shown in the video.
Platter Hold Method
The images below show another method for holding large snapping turtles. Approaching from the back, slightly lift the plastron (bottom shell) so you can get your hand flat underneath the plastron. This is called the 'platter' hold because it is similar to holding a food platter. Your hand is safe and unreachable as long as it's on the plastron, they cannot snap downwards. This hand will support the weight of the snapper.
Your other hand helps stabilize by gripping the back margins of the shell (as shown in the screenshot image above), or by holding the base of the tail. That being said, NEVER pick any animal up by the tail.The tail is connected to the spine, and holding them can cause serious spinal injuries or paralysis.
This photo shows the "platter" hold, using the plastron (bottom shell) to support their weight.
One hand supports the plastron. The other hand holds either: a) the shell margins OR b) base of the tail (but NEVER up by the tail!)
Find an injured turtle?
Your personal safety is paramount. When safe, get the turtle out of harm's way and follow these steps:
- 1) Contain the turtle in a box
A cardboard box works great because you can close it up to reduce stress and there will still be airflow, and you can break it down and discard after use.
- 2) Save the location!
The most important piece of information we need is the location. The more specific the details are, the better for the turtle, to assure we get them back home. Turtles are incredibly tied to their local environments and always need to return home; relocation drastically reduces their chance of survival.
- 3) Find a wildlife rehabilitator
If you are in New Hampshire, text or call us at(603) 417-4944. If you are outside of New Hampshire, please search for a local wildlife rehabilitator in your area.