It’s probably happened to you. You’re driving down the road and see a turtle crossing the road, or sitting on the side of the road, maybe trying to make a life-or-death decision. What do you do? Stop and save the turtle, or drive on? Turtles are on the move in Kansas as they look for mates or places to lay eggs. Experts say it’s ok to speed up the turtle’s pace across the road, but there are some do’s and don’ts involved. If you help, make sure you point the turtle in the same direction it was heading, or take it to the side of the road it was heading to. Don’t mess with larger turtles. It’s ok to pick up and move smaller box turtles, but it’s probably safer to act as a crossing guard for larger, heavier turtles like map turtles or large snapping turtles, but always make sure it is safe to stop and get out of the vehicle. Oh, and don’t swerve to miss them. A woman in Cherokee County swerved to miss a turtle this weekend, lost control, and rolled her car. Fortunately, she only suffered minor injuries
A big no-no…do not take the turtle home and try to raise it as a pet, and don’t assume it is heading to a body of water and put it in the water. Some, like ornate box turtles don’t want to be in the water. Just help them across the road and make sure they reach the other side and not take them any further. And, one other thing, wash your hands well after you handle them.
