It’s Kentucky Turtle Crossing Season; Don’t Make This Common Mistake

I guess it's because my mom was a turtle lover (she had two as pets) that I have a soft spot for the little guys. Not the big ones, though. They can now fend for themselves after I tried to help one across Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard in Owensboro several Mother's Days ago. It was a snapping turtle, and it nearly took my finger off. I dropped it and headed back to the car. No good deed goes unpunished, as the saying goes.

Turtle Crossing Season

Picking up a snapping turtle isn't what I meant in the headline, but don't do it. Duh. Know what they look like, and then leave them alone. You can be a good Samaritan another time.

Box turtles, however? I see them all the time, especially this time of year, and I've always pulled the car over, when possible, to get them across the road. A very long time ago, I did the wrong thing, but I've since learned the error of my ways.

Helping Turtles Across ≠ Relocating

The Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources gives us the green light in terms of getting turtles across the road so they won't get hit. But picking them up and taking them elsewhere removes them from their natural habitat, lowering their chances of survival. Eastern box turtles, in particular, never stray much farther than a mile from where they were hatched.

Don't Move Turtles to a New Home

Anyway, that's what I did way back when; I spotted the turtle on a city street and took it to where there was a water source nearby. I felt terrible when I learned of the potential ramifications, especially when I found out that most box turtles will aimlessly wander, looking for their old home until they die. I felt awful.

Don't Take Wild Turtles Home and Make Them Pets

The reasons the KDFWR says you shouldn't make them pets are pretty much the same reasons you've already seen. Also, box turtles tend to have shorter lifespans in captivity. They're wild, and they're not intended to be pets. In Kentucky, it's also illegal to take turtles out of their natural environment for the purpose of barter or trade.

Springtime means turtles will be on the move. Just remember to help them only across the road in the direction they were headed.

Also, know what a snapping turtle looks like for your fingers' sake.