On the Road Again

Roads are a vital piece of infrastructure. They are necessary for transportation, whether it be personal travel, the shipment of goods, or other reasons. They connect communities, often forming dense networks anywhere large numbers of people can be found. As such, it is a bit of a shame that they are something of a nightmare when it comes to conservation work – especially when it comes to animals that are slow to rebound from population declines like turtles.

Roadkill is a serious threat to turtles. Over the past few years, the Canadian Wildlife Federation turtle team has documented more than 1,800 dead turtles on roads in eastern Ontario. That is a staggering amount of roadkill which is likely not sustainable. A majority of the dead turtles we found were Painted Turtles, but we also found many Snapping Turtles and Blanding’s Turtles. Given that all freshwater turtles in Canada are species at risk, roadkill is another reason turtles are declining.

We can all do our part by watching for turtles on roads, particularly when we are driving in rural areas close to lakes and wetlands. First of all, if you see a turtle trying to cross the road, make sure it is safe to help. If the traffic isn’t too heavy and it is safe to do so, pull off onto the road shoulder and turn on the car’s four-way flashers. Look both ways before heading onto the road to save the turtle. If there are cars coming, don’t risk your life.

Find out how to move a Snapping Turtle off the road at https://blog.cwf-fcf.org/index.php/en/on-the-road-again-2/

Posted on June 20, 2024 05:47 PM by davidseburn