Usually turtles cross roads in the late Spring and early summer in my area because they are older females who have mated and need to find sandy soil or gravel so that they can lay their eggs.
The ideal egg laying spot for them is often in the loose gravel that makes up the shoulder of a road.
Please Please Please, slow down for turtles and consider helping to carefully re-locate them to the side of the road in the general direction they were traveling towards. (Of course, only if it is safe for you to do so.)
I took this picture on my way home from work and I almost burst into tears when I saw what had happened at the hands of a human.
She was crushed almost directly across the road from the yellow "Caution Turtle Crossing" sign. It felt to me like this was an intentional killing. Another foot and she would have made it to safety.
This was a beautiful Painted turtle and if I had to guess I would've said that she was approximately 20 years old.
@knarly327 and I live at the edge of the Trent Severn Waterway system. It's a very large river and we are just starting our 3rd summer here. Ever year, I keep a journal (of sorts) so that I can record the natural cycles that we are witnessing as they occur around us.
Currently, the Painted turtles are climbing out of the river. They are making their way onto dry land in an effort to secure a safe spot to lay their eggs. I have noticed that they seem to make their way back to the exact same areas of land year after year.
Like here:
Our flower bed. Every year we can expect to find at least one Painted turtle in the garden by the middle of June.
This year was no exception.
We just let her do her thing but when we checked this end of the garden the next morning, it didn't look like the wood chips had been moved around at all. As a result I think she just kept on hiking to find a sandier spot to lay her eggs.
Painted turtles are one of the most common turtles in North America and there are 4 sub-species of them (Eastern, Midland, Western and Southern). They live in rivers and ponds. They eat vegetation, insects and sometimes small fish. Painted turtles can live to be 55 years old.
I think that 50+ years deserves not to be squished on the side of the road. :(
Please take care.
I welcome your comments and I invite you to follow me on my journey.
~ Rebecca Ryan
When I was a kid my friends I would canoe along the trent Severn and catch turtles among other wildlife like crayfish and leaches. We always put them back.
I hope you don't see anymore squished turtles. ><
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Thanks for your comment @solarguy! We are so fortunate to live by this river. It is teeming with life. You must have had so much fun here as a kid.
I hope I don't see any more squished or harmed either.
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damn the road kill :(
poor thing
you get one a year? :)
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Hi @englishtchrivy!
It's awful.
We get 100's in our area. I've had 5 in my gardens so far. We have another week to go on the laying of eggs.
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So sad! Turtles have it rough. It's hard finding the right kind of conditions for digging, that won't be vulnerable to predators, too. It's neat that turtles come to your garden, too. I hope they continue to have nesting success there. Great idea for keeping a nature journal for your place, too. There's a lot of nature around you, that's for sure! :D
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Oh @haphazard-hstead! Thank you for commenting. I was so upset to find her, badly compressed. I thought the same thing.
Yes, we are very fortunate to live where we do. It's never dull. :)
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You're welcome. Your post is a good warning to people. And turtles are special creatures.
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nice post, poor turtle....maybe it's a suicide mission? I've watched on discovery once that animals do commit suicide when they get depressed..upvoted
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Indeed... I feel terrible when see that picture... anyway nice posting :)
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I just followed u
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Thank you... me too!:)
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Thanks for your comment @happyphoenix! I apologize for posting this carnage.
My intention was to encourage people to be more careful.
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Hi @themevlog! Thanks for your comment.
We do have so much to still learn about Mother Nature's ways. It makes some sense. Humans can become dangerously depressed if conditions aren't "right". It stands to reason that this can happen in the animal kingdom too.
I do think in this case, she was just trying to lay her eggs.
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I really feel like 80K on Glen Ross Rd is just not safe and should be lowered. Perhaps the ole misses would have had an opporutunity to nest if people slowed down. Great article and we are in agreeance
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Thanks for taking a minute to comment Chris! This turtle was hit just passed the store in Frankford. It's a 50k zone there. It just seems like people don't care and or they are not paying attention. Every year it's the same thing and that's why it's marked with a sign, but I can't see that it helps at all. Unfortunately. :(
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Magnificent turtles! I agree that we need to be careful of crossing animals, turtles and everything else! When on non-city roads, I always drive with this in mind. Lucky you to be able to have such rich wildlife to observe in your backyard daily!
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Thanks for your comment @natureofbeing! You are absolutely correct...we just need to pay attention and care about the wildlife around us. We feel exceptionally fortunate to be sharing a little piece of land with Mother Nature and all her creatures on a daily basis. It's a true gift.
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I've always liked turtles. I wish them well as they as cross the roadways.
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Thanks for commenting @breakingtonight! This egg laying business happens in about a 3 week window every year, where we live. I think that it's not a big deal to slow down and make and effort not to hit the turtles as they fulfill their duties as a species.
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You're welcome, @rebeccaryan
I'm sure it has been an interesting experience! Always glad to comment on interesting content such as this. Have a pleasant evening! :)
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@rebeccaryan
Love your post. You always go into an at length detail of description for your posting subject. And I for one, knows that takes time. Thank you for taking the time. Your time.
Painted turtles have one advantage over one of the other species, called the "snapping turtle". The Painted turtles are mostly safe. Not true for the "snapping turtle". They have been eaten by humans for a long time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_snapping_turtle#As_food
Good article. And posting. Observing nature brings many satisfying moments in our lives.
Thank you
Francis
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Thank you Francis! I also think that snappers are more of a target and lot's of people are afraid of them. I can't say that I myself "love" reptiles but I do think that they deserve respect for the job that they do keeping balance for our planet. It's all about maintaining ecosystems. :)
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@rebeccaryan
I grew up on a farm. Since I am older. (drop the -er-) if you wish. Ha
So, I have some knowledge of wild animals. Reptiles too.
Even though the population of humans has exploded since I was a child.
The proliferation of wild animals has actually increased. At least in the areas
I grew up in. That came about as a result of stricter game laws and enforcement.
"Off topic below"
I will be 1,000 miles closer to you in about two weeks or so. So I should have
a little change in my postings. I am constantly looking for new Steemian sign up
candidates wherever I am.
"Back on subject". No poisonous snakes live where I do. Just not enough room for
us to occupy the same general area. Ha
Thank you for the upvote and reply.
Francis
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Hello again!.....i do turtle rescue here at the park I currently live in and work at our lake here has been over run with turtles so one of my jobs here is to do a turtle round up I captured over 50 red ear and painted turtles along with a few musk for relocation.... there is one very large very old softshell I would personally like to see stay.... I have two small green red eared slider babies that had found their way to the swimming pool they are happily playing at stacking on top of each other in their tank...LOL... I also have a pair of box turtles who have very interesting personalities.... as you can see i love turtles!...love your post!...am following you.
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Thank you for your lovely comment @handmarshall! Wow I am happy to learn that I am not the only one who respects and appreciates turtles. I could have just cried when I found the turtle mangled from being run-over yesterday. The really sad part is that given the direction she was facing, she had made it out of the river, laid her eggs and was making her way back to the river. 6 more inches and she would have been off the road.
It's completely maddening. Are you working/living at or in a Protected park?
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No its an RV Park here in texas but we take the excess turtles to be relocated to the nearby parks lake ... everyone here knows what I am doing and when a turtle is found like the babies in the pool they bring them to me... I have two little red eared sliders in a tank and in another tank is my two box turtles ... sometimes the box turtles get to run in a pen in the yard.... I love turtles.
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Me too! Thanks for sharing. You should write a post about your turtle sanctuary.
I would be interested in reading about the different species that you are caring for.
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LOL... I dont consider it a sanctuary only have the 4... all others go to the river or the park for release.... just love turtles...here is one of my box turtles.....
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