Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay, a couple days ago my husband called on his way to work and told me there was a turtle crossing the road behind our condo. I drove to get him and on either side of the street was condo complexes, so I drove him down the street to the forest in hopes he would have a better chance of not being found by some kid that would take him and not care for him properly. Today, on my way to work, I saw a turtle crossing the main road from the woods to a new adult community that is being built. Guess what? From the markings and the size, it was the same exact turtle, still close to my home, but now on a very busy road. There is a small patch of woods, but then a lot of construction going on and I thought it would be too dangerous for the turtle so I walked him into the woods and pointed him deeper into the woods. Now I feel awful because I know you are supposed to place them on the side that they were trying to get to, but both times I tried to place him where I thought he had a better shot at surviving. Did I do the wrong thing? If I spot him a third time, what should I do? I would hate to ever see him dead in the road. I love animals way too much, especially when i have two water turtles in my own home. Please give me some advise.

Thanks,

You should help the turtle across the road, in the direction it is headed on its own.
This sounds like a fairly classic example of a turtle determined to go to a specific place, and its going to keep trying to get there. Let it.
If you have the time to wait for it to cross the road on its own, then by all means, stop traffic.

Oh no, there was no way of stopping traffic, he had a long way to go on a pretty busy road, especially during rush hour this morning. And I know you said he will keep trying, but this was a completely different road than the first time I saw him. Imagine a L shape, with the L being the border of the woods. The first time he was on the left side of the L and the second time he was crossing at the bottom. Does that make sense? Since there really isn't anything near me for him, except a lot of people and cars, if I find him again, can I move him somewhere across town to a safe place or no?

NO!!!
This is, in all likelihood a female looking for a nesting site, and you are probably interfering with a natural process.
If you take it across town, it will probably spend the rest of its life trying to get home. Think of all the busy roads it would have to cross to accomplish that! That could make the rest of its life very brief indeed.
Box turtles spend their entire lives in a relatively small location: there are a multitude of studies that have been done on this subject. They have very strong site fidelity, so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, if you find the same turtle again put it back where you ORIGINALLY found it (help it across the road) then leave it alone.

I should add that you should help it across the road where you ORIGINALLY found it the first time. Relocating turtles is a bad idea, and now you're finding out why.
Keep in mind that thats its home, and condos or no condos it knows its way around. It survived the condo construction just fine, and can continue to do so...
You have good intentions, so keep on the lookout for it.

Okay, just read an article that said you should never move them more than a quarter of a mile from their home. So I feel a little better that I definately did not move him that far. I moved him very close to where he was found just not in the same spot which makes me feel awful. The good thing is, both times I found him (although different roads) he was heading in the same direction, so who is to say that maybe she laid her eggs and was tryuing to go home the first time I saw her and where I moved her to would have actually brought her closer to her home since it was the direction she was going. I read they "know" where their home is and can find it if not too far, so maybe she really did know where she was going. At least the secnd time I just put her back on the edge of the woods, she could turn around to cross the street again (just wish I would have helped her in the first place), but I didn't know what to do then. If I find her again, I will put her exactly where I found her the first time (just not in the road). Thanks for yuor help. I just hope I did not hurt her or kill her by doing what i did. i would never be able to fogive myself.

You should do one of two things: 1) Run it over and end it quickly: because if he stays there, he will eventually be ran over by a car or construction crew; or 2) take it home, and give it to one of the adoption organizations or adopt it out to a reputable breeder. At least it will live a long life and maybe even reproduce.

I would bet, that that patch of woods will be built upon in 5 years. Sooner or latter, it will have to leave the area or die, and its unlikely to leave without external intervention (you).

Mark

i totally agree. Yes its terrible, possibly even illegal to remove a turtle from the "wild" but if human encroachment is so severe that the animal will frequently have it life threatened by the ever enduring symbol of human arrogance, the car, then by all means have it adopted to somewhere it can live a happy, healthful, long life. People need to face the reality that human interference in the lives of animals IS necessary if we want to save them. I don't advocate picking up every turtle you find in the woods or trying to trap every squirrel you find in a city park but if your purpose is to help the animal and you are reasonbly sure that there is not a large safe place for it to live, then take it. But do something responsible with it. Don't make it a pet in a fish tank. Death is likely a better alternative to that type of existence.