Drivers urged to look out for turtles

May 26, 2022  |  By Vermont Fish & Wildlife 

Painted turtles have colorful markings and shells. Drivers are asked to watch out for turtles that are out digging nests and may be crossing roadways. Photo by Luke Groff, VT Fish & Wildlife

Vermont’s turtles will be on the move this spring, and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is asking for the public’s help in keeping them safe.  

Female turtles will be looking for places to deposit their eggs, sometimes choosing to lay them along the shoulders of roads, which can bring them into the path of moving vehicles. 

“Turtles often move across roads as they search for a nest site,” said state biologist Luke Groff. “They are usually slow-moving animals, so they have a tough time making it safely across the road.  Turtles grow slowly and live a long time, so losing a mature breeding female may be a huge loss to a turtle population.” 

Move a snapping turtle carefully as they have long necks and can bite. File photo by Luke Groff, VT Fish & Wildlife

Turtle nesting activity peaks between late May and early June, and drivers are urged to be alert, especially when driving near ponds and wetlands. 

If it's safe to stop, Groff said people can assist a turtle crossing a road. “If you’re going to move a turtle off the road, always move it in the direction it was traveling. They know where they’re going,” he said.   

Most turtles can be picked up and carried across the road. However, a turtle with no colorful lines, spots, or other markings is probably a snapping turtle, he explained. To avoid being bitten, try pushing the turtle across the road with a shovel or pulling it across the road using a car floor mat, he suggested.