Turtles

  Why did the turtle cross the road?  To get to the other side, of course!  We have a few different species of turtles in our area.  These are: the Eastern Box Turtle, The Eastern Painted Turtle, the Red-Eared Slider, Snapping turtles, spotted turtles, mud turtles, stinkpots and diamondback terrapins.  Turtles are amazing animals and some box turtles are known to have lived in excess of 100 years!
  What should you do if you see a turtle trying to cross a busy road?  Stop and help it get to its destination quickly and safely.  Always move a turtle off to the side of the road it was heading toward.  If you bring it back from where it came, it will simply turn around and go across the road again.  Sometimes turtles who are crossing the road get hit by cars, and their shells get broken and/or they sustain other injuries.  If you find a turtle with a broken shell, try to collect as many pieces of the shell as possible and either take the animal to a veterinarian or call a licensed, trained wildlife rehabilitator for advice.  Many times these animals can be saved.  If you hit a turtle, or if you find one who is still alive but has sustained serious injuries, please be find and take it to the nearest veterinarian for humane euthanasia.  Most vets will not charge for this, and it is more humane to have the animal put down than to let it die slowly on a hot stretch of road.
  During the early summer months, people will sometimes find a snapping turtle away from water and in strange places like roads or driveways.  Often when this happens, they are trying to reach the area they plan on laying their eggs.  Leave the turtle alone and she will leave when she is done with her egg-laying or head onward to her egg-laying destination.  If she is in imminent danger, have someone  help direct traffic around her, and send someone else to call a rehabilitator for advice.  You can try slipping a wooded board under her from behind  and moving her out of danger.  BEWARE!!  Snappers have extremely long necks and sharp beaks and can cause serious injury.  Proceed with caution.
  Another problem we rehabilitators have seen in snapping turtles is the ingestion of fish hooks and plastic bags.  When fishermen get their lines caught, they often just cut them loose, leaving the hook and line in the water causing a hazard to wildlife.  Plastic grocery and produce bags also cause a hazard to wildlife, and turtles sometimes mistake them for food (ie: jellyfish) and ingest them.  This causes a blockage in their gut and prevents them from getting nutrients from other food, and they will eventually starve to death.  Please dispose of your garbage properly and thoughtfully and recycle wherever possible.
  NOTE:  Please know what kind of turtle you are about to help.  A snapper can inflict a serious bite.  Use proper caution.
  Wild animals do not make good companion animals, and it is a violation of State and Federal law  to hold wildlife for any reason without the proper permits.  Help keep wildlife wild and do the right thing.