Another good deed...sort of

[StudentoftheReptile]

Well, yesterday morning didn't have quite the happy ending as the first instance ...

We were driving to my mothers house to drop off the babies, and my wife spots a RES in the middle of the road. We pull off and I start walking back toward it, hoping that all cars behind us will just straddle it and not hit it. Well, my wish went ungranted. One car much have clipped it and I see the turtle sailing several feet in the air before landing back in the ditch where it originated from. Fearing the worst, I head to the dazed chelonian. Upon initial inspection, the shell and legs appear undamaged. When I pick it up, blood starts dripping on the ground. From what I can see, it looks like the car probably grazed it by the head and the front of the shell. The eyes, mouth and nostrils do appear relatively intact, so I made the decision to take the turtle to the other side and leave it, confident that it will survive and heal (as long as it stays away from the road!).

I really felt bad. When I get back to the car, and explain to my wife what happened, I told her I almost considered taking it home and rehabbing it, to see if I could fix up its wounds. She told me she had read my mind and was already looking around the car for an old towel or something. But I had said I felt pretty sure that since it had functionality of its limbs, no shell damage, no major facial disfiguration and its eyes and mouth could move, the turtle can crawl, swim and eat and breathe ok. If we were not heading to my parent's house, and I had more reptile supplies in the car, I might have actually taken it home.

 

[Jacqui]

Glad you stopped, just sorry you didn't get to it before the other car clipped it. Hope it makes it.

I remember once stopping when driving the semi to get a box turtle off the road. OF course by the time I got the semi stopped, I was a ways from the turtle. I was almost to it, when this driver for whom I will spare you the names I mentally called the jerk, seemed to purposely run the turtle over. Sadly, as I check the very smushed remains, I discovered she had been a stunning female and carrying several eggs. What a waste in so many ways.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

Yeah, I can recall another instance where on the way to work, I saw a slider in the road. I was already running late, so I couldn't stop. I just straddled it as not to hit and drove on. Just as I looked in the rear view mirror, I witnessed the car behind me deliberately swerve to hit the turtle, which they did. I was not happy with myself that day.