Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've seen loads of people suggesting that they've "saved" a turtle from the road by taking it in and planning on keeping it..That is by far not saving the animal...Most likely,you have picked up a gravid female turtle, on her way to lay eggs somewhere..Most people do not realize they are gravid, so offer no place to lay eggs. This can kill the turtle. Simply because one picks up a turtle that is potentially in harms way, this does not mean that you have saved it at all. Another example..I've heard people say they've saved them from their own lawnmowers by picking them up and keeping them as pets,how does that work?? Just go around them,or move them to the side.... I can understand if someone were to find an injured turtle somewhere, pick it up and try to fix it,and release it..This type of thing really irritates me, any other views?
Matt

I would like to add a little suggestion to this post. It is an answer to "what do I do if I find a turtle on the road?" There is a very simple answer to this question. Move the turtle off the road, do not take it home. Move it to the side of the road that it's head/body was pointed towards, the direction that the turtle wanted to be going before it discovered the road was dangerous. Don't just place it in the woods, field, swamp, etc. that is closest, this will probably just result in the turtle trying to cross the road again. Look at where the turtle was trying to go. I will add that it is great to see people stopping to care about the turtles and trying to "save a life". Like Matt said, many of the turtles crossing are wandering females so you just have to move them off the road, wish them luck, and let nature take its course. If they are nesting females, chances are, yes, after they have laid the clutch they will cross the road again to get back to their home range. This results in many deaths but is unfortunately the equation in modern America when you add roads to turtle's native grounds. I mean look at the female(or male) turtle, think how old she may be, think of how many years they have already survived the annual nesting season before one finds her, or before she is untimely killed. You have done a great deed taking the time to move the turtle out of harms way. So say good luck! And hopefully you won't have to move it again. They are amazing creatures.

Thank you for your input..Thats another good point about people putting them back into ponds as well...That just makes it twice as hard on the turtle,as she needs to do her trek over again.
Matt

Why don't you watch a turtle next time cross the road, and see whether it needs be saved or not. Wear clean clothes. You don't want guts spraying on you.

Also, why don't you watch a box turtle get ran over by a bull dozer clearing land for new housing.

Then you can drop your airs and save them by saving their habitat, limiting road construction, etc.

Are you trying to argue?? I believe the point was brought up about moving them across the road,to get them out of harms way so..Nice try.
Matt