Q re Roadkill eggs

[Moozillion]

I've heard several members referring to saving and hatching eggs from road-killed female turtles and torts. I think that is one of the COOLEST things on the planet for reasons too numerous to include. I'd be very interested to hear from the members who've done this, how exactly do you go about it? Do you search EVERY dead tort you see? Do you keep gloves and boxes/bags in your car for this purpose? How do you keep from getting grossed out? How do you decide if the corpse carried eggs? How do you get the eggs? etc etc etc

 

[wellington]

Very interesting. I have not seen those post. I will be keeping track of this thread. I'd like to know too

 

[Leopard Tortoise Lover 16199]

Wow! Interesting. I'm curious about this too.

 

[julietteq]

yes, keep me posted!

 

[Jacqui]

I stop and check out all fresh turtle roadkills. I use bare hands and my truck always has spare bags, paper towels, hand cleaner, and usually there is a bucket, a jug of water, and cutting things in there too. Often the eggs are almost right there jumping out at you it seems, some times you need to ignore the "yuck" factor and do some moving, tearing. Once I had to bring one home for more difficult cutting into. I have done several snappers and box turtles. I also raised some diamondback turtles that somebody else had gotten from a roadkill female.

 

[wellington]

Wow Jacqui. That's really cool. I don't know if i could do it. The yuck doesn't bother me, as long as it's not human yuck. I would feel so bad having to cut up a turtle. But, if I thought of what I could save by doing it, I guess I could. Now I'm going to have to stop and check the road kill, while I'm cussing out the ***hole that ran over it.

 

[Moozillion]

Thanks, Jacqui. I don't know if I could ever really do it, but before I was on this forum, I never even KNEW it could be done! I may try and prepare myself and hope that if I am ever in that situation, I CAN do it.

Success at salvaging and hatching eggs from those circumstances has got to be an amazingly satisfying experience!

 

[julietteq]

Yes, it is amazing. How many torts did you rescue this way?

 

[tortoise5643]

That is really cool

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Jacqui, what did you do with the hatched babies? Would they be released in the wild near where you found them or kept in captivity?

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

For the yuck factor, have a surgical mask and a small bottle of lavender essential oil handy in your car. Put a couple of drops on the mask prior to doing the good deed. Lavender is anti bacterial ... and the lovely smell will mask any yucky smell. I had never heard of this before, but I agree, this is rather cool for whomever can and does do this. Rest in peace little road kill chelonians. But possible babies is way rad! : )

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

I have done hundreds of "eggectomies" on DBT, among 1,000's done at the Wetlands Institute. They have had a program there for a few decades now, that among other field works for DBT's have a transect on barrier island roads and part of that, is collecting eggs, hatching them out, headstarting the hatchlings for about a year, and releasing them back into the wild. At this point I would guess it is 10's of thousands??

I ran a part of that overall program introducing people from several Asian countries to a working chelonian conservation program, that they could model in some way in their home countries.

So much good conservation work out there. To bad there is not a conservation topic heading here on TFO. I did write one of the Chelonian History threads about the program , including the eggectomies.

I guess turtle feces and their butts is a better thread?:s

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Will, a conservation category sounds like a good idea.

I remember when the Advanced Topics section was created. Maybe if enough people speak up to want this category, they'll create it.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Re: RE: Q re Roadkill eggs

Will, a conservation category sounds like a good idea.

I remember when the Advanced Topics section was created. Maybe if enough people speak up to want this category, they'll create it.

Not holding my breath on this one. It becomes divisive quickly. Laws, NGO's, citizen science, politics, assurance colonies - wildlife conservation is rife with competing ideologies. Fights over validity of action is really fights over $$ and territory.

But, if the OP hatches eggs from roadkill, and sets the neonates free, then that is a result of action, not to be argued over.

I have lived many of these arguments in the trenches with all bedfellows of chelonian conservation.

It's one thing to pontificate, another to act. Oddly, chelonians are near unique in that a roadkill female is not fully a dead end for her lineage. I think possums are the only other animal where human intervention can carry forward the progeny after death of the female. I suppose some snakes too, but I've no experience with their eggs from roadkill.

 

[Tom]

I think possums are the only other animal where human intervention can carry forward the progeny after death of the female. I suppose some snakes too, but I've no experience with their eggs from roadkill.

I know a whole lot of rehabbers and just general animal lovers. Depending on how far along the babies are, just about any animal can be saved. I've seen squirrels, rabbits, many birds, including raptors, deer, etc.

The hard part in this "roadkill" scenario for me is pulling over only to find the "dead" animal is not quite dead. Snakes that have had their back half run over, etc. I hate killing things, but I refuse to let them suffer when there is no chance of survival.

 

[Jacqui]

I did not keep any of those hatched from roadkilled females, they go back to near where the mother was found. My thought is the female has already been wasted, why waste the genes? It's like somebody may have killed her (either by accident or design), but she is still living thanks to her young.

I dislike this time of year, because with the cool temps the snakes are seeking out the roads and getting run over.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Very cool you release the babies.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

I mean where the female is dead and the offspring/eggs are still good.
Unless you are talking about a C-section on a deer that's not what I was driving at.

I have found rattlesnakes squished to the road, and angry, trying to strike, but immobilized by the tire/snake/road contact area.

I suppose their could have been little snakes inside? Who knows, I din't fool with it.

I think possums are the only other animal where human intervention can carry forward the progeny after death of the female. I suppose some snakes too, but I've no experience with their eggs from roadkill.

I know a whole lot of rehabbers and just general animal lovers. Depending on how far along the babies are, just about any animal can be saved. I've seen squirrels, rabbits, many birds, including raptors, deer, etc.

The hard part in this "roadkill" scenario for me is pulling over only to find the "dead" animal is not quite dead. Snakes that have had their back half run over, etc. I hate killing things, but I refuse to let them suffer when there is no chance of survival.

 

[BobG]

I always have an old chinese food tray and lid filled with most vermiculite in my vehicle.

 

[Lizanne]

I've heard several members referring to saving and hatching eggs from road-killed female turtles and torts. I think that is one of the COOLEST things on the planet for reasons too numerous to include. I'd be very interested to hear from the members who've done this, how exactly do you go about it? Do you search EVERY dead tort you see? Do you keep gloves and boxes/bags in your car for this purpose? How do you keep from getting grossed out? How do you decide if the corpse carried eggs? How do you get the eggs? etc etc etc

I'm thinking the same things, same questions! I am determined to learn how to remove the eggs without getting grossed out too. I don't know how to dissect a turtle.. yea here is a wetland institute in Stone Harbor, I'll see what they suggest.