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Taking Time for Turtles

Posted on Apr 10, 2017

The weather is finally warming up in the northeast and the first basking turtles are out. Soon they will start moving towards favorite wetlands or preferred egg-laying sites, risking their lives as they cross our roads. Please slow down and avoid hitting these animals – no matter how tough they may appear, they are no match for a fast moving car. Even straddling a turtle with your wheels will often cause it to hit the underside of your car if you’re moving at a decent clip. Please stop, if you can safely do so, and gently help the turtle cross in the direction it is headed. Many of our native turtles are declining dramatically, and loss of a gravid female to traffic can have severe impacts on local populations.