What to do when you see a turtle on the side of the road

Conservationists in Waterloo region and Wellington county are asking drivers to be extra cautious around wetlands this month as it's the time of year when turtles are known to cross busy roadways on their way to seasonal nesting grounds. 

Lisa Veit, associate director of the Guelph Humane Society, told CBC News female snapping and painted turtles will often visit the same nesting location year after year. 

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"They look for sort of sandy, gravely areas in which to dig ... and lay their eggs," she said. "Often, those areas are along roads. So, in the gravely shoulders alongside the roads."

Drivers who spot a turtle trying to cross the road are encouraged to pull over, if it is safe to do so, and help the turtle cross the road, moving it in the direction that it was heading.

Determined creatures

"Sometimes individuals will move them to the closest part of the road from where they're crossing, but turtles are very determined," Veit said. "They know exactly where they're going."

Because some turtles — particularly snapping turtles — can be aggressive, it is best to help them along by gently scooping them up with a plastic snow shovel or piece of cardboard. 

You can also put a blanket or coat over the turtle's head, to calm it down. Then, pick it up by the back of its shell, near the hind legs. 

If you do pick up a turtle, Veit recommends washing your hands afterwards, as turtles can carry salmonella.

 

Fixing broken turtles

While watching a turtle cross the road can be fun — or annoying — for drivers, it is becoming an increasingly dangerous activity for turtles. 

Veit said all species of turtles found in Ontario are now threatened to some degree, due in part to collisions with motor vehicles. 

The good news is that turtles have an amazing ability to bounce back from the most horrendous injuries, as long as they are treated quickly.

Harvesting turtle eggs

Drivers who spot an injured turtle on the side of the road are encouraged to call their local humane society or, in Waterloo region, the Preston Animal Clinic, which does free surgery on turtles. 

Turtles that have been repaired are sent to live with wildlife rehabilitators until they are well enough to be released into the wild.

Veit said it's also worth calling the humane society if you see a dead turtle, as there are organizations that are able to harvest eggs from dead female turtles.

The eggs are incubated, hatched and the young turtles reared until they can be released into the wild.