# Why do turtles cross the road ?



## LeroyLeft (May 23, 2011)

May and june are the nesting season for the states turtles, when egg- bearing females leave the water to find nesting sites on land. Thats why you see so many crossing the roads at this time of year. You can do more than just avoid turtles in the roads. according to the state department of environmental protection: You can, carefully, help them across. here are a few tips from from the DEP. *Dont stop your car to help the turtle unless its safe,and pull off the road.
*Dont try to stop traffic for the turtle: wait until there is no traffic to help it along.*Beware of snapping turtles.if you cant shoo one across a road, pick it up by the back of the shell, not the tail,to avoid a bite.*Keep the turtle pointed in the direction it is going.if you turn it around it will only try to cross the road again.*Dont take the turtle to a better spot. turtles have a home range and females often return to the same general area to lay their eggs. for more information, visit the DEPs Year of the Turtle website at www.ct.gov/dep/yearofturtle.


----------



## Yvonne G (May 23, 2011)

Thanks for that, Scott. We sometimes tend to forget that the turtle was there first and the road came after. Its really too bad we don't have enough money to fence all highways and make culverts under them for the animals to cross.


----------



## african cake queen (May 23, 2011)

hello, around here they cross the road , because of construction , condos, skateboard parks...ect. ect.. no safe places any more for the wild life. they are in our yards now. its a shame. i do understand what you said about not moving them. alot of people dont care , and drive over them. last year , afriend got dirt delivered from ny. to ct. i took in eastern painted the size of pennies. free now! litlle devils!! they came from the dirt pile! lol lindy


----------

