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	Finding Turtles

What to do if you find a turtle crossing the road or a turtle nest.

From the end of May to the end of June, New Hampshire motorists and pedestrians are very apt to meet turtles in the middle of the road. At this time of year, they are females out to lay eggs, a biological imperative that must be obeyed. Often people have a commendable desire to help these slow-moving creatures out of a risky situation. In that case, it is best to move the turtle to a safe place in the direction in which she was heading. It is also important to keep in mind that turtles have a home range and females often return to the same general area to lay eggs. Removing the turtle from the place where she is found and taking her to an area that seems "safer" is therefore not a good idea.

Snapping turtles tend to be out early in the day. These are large, solid-colored turtles with pointed heads and a line of bumpy spines going down the center of their long tails. Although smaller ones may be safely carried by the tips of their tails with outstretched arm and the bottom shell (plastron) facing you, treating larger ones this way may cause injury to their tails and they should be carried by their back legs instead. Given their surprisingly long necks and strong jaws, however, many of us feel hesitant about getting up this close and personal. If traffic is light enough to make it possible, use a stick to gently tap the edge of the shell near the tail to try to hasten the turtle to the side of the road. Bear in mind that a turtle, even when hastening, isn't moving very fast. If this is not feasible, it might be a good idea to keep a snow shovel in your car for carrying purposes. After all, who is to say that it won't snow in New Hampshire in May or June?

In the afternoon the turtle most often met is the familiar Eastern Painted Turtle with yellow and red head markings and red on the edges of the top shell (carapace). This species does not pose any danger. If small, the painted turtle may be safely lifted and carried by the edges of her shells with one hand; larger ones should be moved using two hands with the fingers holding the bottom shell and the thumbs on the top. Most painted turtles respond to being lifted by tucking themselves into their shells but some are apt to move their feet rapidly in an effort to escape. Be prepared for this reaction so you are not startled into dropping the turtle and causing harm.

If you are fortunate enough to have witnessed a turtle nesting, you know that they are excellent at tamping the soil back in such a way that it is difficult to distinguish the nest site from its surroundings. Raccoons and skunks, however, consider turtle eggs a great delicacy and are able to find them using their sense of smell. Many turtle nests fall prey to these animals in the course of a season. In the event that you see a turtle nesting in an area that receives a great deal of foot traffic, or a nest is where a car might pull over and park, it would be a good idea to protect it by placing stakes in an area around it avoiding where the eggs themselves are apt to be. Try to work quickly and avoid walking directly to the nest which can leave a trail of human scent that predators will follow to the nest. Moving the nest is often unsuccessful and it is best to leave the nest where it is and protect it from disturbance. If you are tempted to cover the nest site with wire mesh in order to protect it from predators, it is essential that you remember to check the area often in the fall and the next spring so the hatchlings will not be trapped. Due to the risk of trapping hatchlings, we do not recommend this option. The eggs of the Snapping Turtle take from three to four months to hatch and those of the Eastern Painted two-and-a-half to three months. Although the eggs hatch in late August or September, very often hatchlings spend the winter underground and do not leave the nest until the following spring. The babies are capable of finding their way to the nearest water and under most circumstances are not in need of human assistance.

For more information on other species of turtles found in New Hampshire, please see General Information on New Hampshire Turtles, and also Turtle Conservation.