Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I found this big girl along side the road today. I thought she was trying to cross, but when we stopped and I got close to her I could see she was bleeding...a lot! I picked her up and at first thought she was dead, but she moved a litte!

I took her home, cleaned her up, and soaked her in Gaterade for several hours until I could get a hold of a rehabber. He said to bring her in and they would get her to a vet in the a.m.

I told them if she pulled through, but couldn't be released, to let me know as I would be happy to keep her.

I can call on Wed. to see how she's doing. I hope she makes it!

It's difficult to see, but she has a huge gash on her right leg, the right side of her face looks "funny" and the left side of her beak is cracked.

-----
0.1.0 snapping turtle
0.1.0 painted turtle
0.1.0 ornate box turtle
1.0.0 eastern box turtle
0.1.0 Australian shepard
0.0.12 chickens
3.2.0 children
1.0.0 husband

I hope she makes it - I really do not like the way she looks. She's definitely hurting. Good luck! Keep everyone updated.

I hope she makes it, good for you for trying to save her.
Good too that you found someone who could take care of her overnight until she can see a vet.
Seems like this sort of thing always happens on weekends or holidays when everyone is closed.
-----
PHRatz

That is tragic. It's too bad we can't prevent this sort of thing; as we know with loss of habitat, road hits will increase.

While boxies have an unbelievable ability to heal and survive; that pic of the head injury is troublesome.
Sorry you had to witness it. But I'm glad you were there to do the best for him.

Last Oct. I was in Northern Florida. While heading back home; I noticed a large boxie scurry onto the right side of the road. Two cars were ahead of me. Both of them straddled the boxies while he hissed as each one pasted over him without touching him. Breathing a sigh of relief ; I pulled off the road and ran 20 yards back to where the boxie remained. My wife and I often move middle of the roaders to the other side.

As I approached the boxie,( I got to within five feet) I looked up and out of nowhere coming very fast down the road was a very large RV Travel Trailer. He was more or less coming down the middle of the road. I figured he saw the boxie and me; and planned to give the boxie a clear path as the other drivers had done. I took a step towards the boxie and suddenly the driver accelerated and swerved from the center of the road and was headed for me dead on. I leaned back and jumped for the side of the brush off the road, as the side of the vehicle barely missed me. As he passed his wheel was lined up with the boxie and it was a direct hit. Going so fast; I couldn't get a license.

There was no hope for the remains...I did check for full term eggs. They were ruined too. I can't help but think what prompted the driver to act as he did. It did bother me.
I understand your feelings.
Ric

Ric what a horrible story!
I find them smashed way over on the shoulders of roads & I know people are running them over on purpose.
A couple of years ago I stopped to get one off the road, the same highway we took Jane from. I thought I'd made it in time because it looked like a normal box turtle sitting in the road but when I got to it, it was a shell with 4 legs but no head.
I think it'd just been hit within no more than an hour by the time I found it. That just made me sick.
-----
PHRatz

Honestly! Sometimes I just can't fathom what is wrong w/ people!!

On the other hand, last week I was driving down a busy two lane highway and saw a boxie just starting to cross. I got to the side of the road and stopped as quickly as possible but still had quite a ways to run to get back to the turtle.

Before I could reach it, another car stopped and a girl (14ish) jumped out and picked up the turtle. She was obviouly squimish about picking it up, but she did it any way and got it to the side of the road!

Fortunatly there are others too!

Thanks for all your good thoughts for this turtle. I too didn't like the looks of things, but one never knows!
-----
0.1.0 snapping turtle
0.1.0 painted turtle
0.1.0 ornate box turtle
1.0.0 eastern box turtle
0.1.0 Australian shepard
0.0.12 chickens
3.2.0 children
1.0.0 husband

I hope your turtle is okay. I've become a personal crusader for crossing turtles it seems. I have had to move several recently. One beauty was huge, about 10 inches, and hissed the entire time I was moving it. And just this weekend, we barely missed a gorgeous box outside our fence when we were cleaning up the overgrowth. We saw it just in time and moved it aside while we finished using the lawn mower over the area and then put it back. I was really tempted to keep that one but don't have room for another turtle right now. (Sorry if I'm referring to the turtles as "IT" but I didn't sex them, I just wanted to get them safe)

>>Honestly! Sometimes I just can't fathom what is wrong w/ people!!
>>
>>On the other hand, last week I was driving down a busy two lane highway and saw a boxie just starting to cross. I got to the side of the road and stopped as quickly as possible but still had quite a ways to run to get back to the turtle.
>>
>>Before I could reach it, another car stopped and a girl (14ish) jumped out and picked up the turtle. She was obviouly squimish about picking it up, but she did it any way and got it to the side of the road!
>>
>>Fortunatly there are others too!
>>
>>Thanks for all your good thoughts for this turtle. I too didn't like the looks of things, but one never knows!
>>-----
>>0.1.0 snapping turtle
>>0.1.0 painted turtle
>>0.1.0 ornate box turtle
>>1.0.0 eastern box turtle
>>0.1.0 Australian shepard
>>0.0.12 chickens
>>3.2.0 children
>>1.0.0 husband