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5.
Stay alert for turtles crossing the road.Turtles
and tortoises often have to risk dangerous road crossings in order to travel between
breeding, feeding, watering, and hibernating spots in their home territories.
Box turtles are further drawn to streets in search of protein-rich road kill treats
and warm spots on cool evenings. If you see a chelonian attempting to cross a
road, lend it a helping hand. Ferry the shelled adventurer across the street,
placing it in the direction it was traveling a significant distance away from
traffic. As discussed in the ornate box turtle
animal of the month article, turtles and tortoises are often imprinted on
the region in which they live. They know where they want to go, why they want
to go there, and exactly how they want to get there. The only help you need give
them is safe transport across the hazardous road, then leave them to their own
devices. |
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| A female red-eared
slider that had been hit by a car began laying eggs on her second day of recovery
at Dove Key Ranch. We
successfully incubated the clutch and were rewarded with tiny turtles hatching
out a few months later. |
| If you discover an
injured turtle on the roadside, take careful note of where the chelonian was discovered
and immediately call a wildlife rehabilitator for assistance (you can visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/rehab/list/
for a list of Texas wildlife rehabbers by county or call 713-548-4718 for local
referrals). Hopefully, with a bit of medical care and time for healing, the rescued
turtle will be back out in his/her familiar habitat before too long. Even in the
cases when the vehicle-induced injuries are fatal, hope can still spring for the
next generation. Unlaid eggs from deceased female chelonians can sometimes be
successfully reared, hatching into releasable mini-turtles and tortoises that
can carry on the genetic family legacy. |
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| After ensuring that
all the newborns were healthy (above), we released the group in a safe wetland
close to the site of their mother’s near tragic accident (below). “Mom” turtle
was released shortly thereafter, once her injuries were completely healed. |
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