Should you help a turtle cross the road in Kansas?

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Travelers hitting the road this summer in Kansas may come across a turtle or two trying to cross the street. But do they need any help from people?

Turtles are on the move in Kansas as they look for mates or places to lay eggs. Drivers may occasionally spot one making slow progress across the road this summer and feel the need to lend a helping hand.

Professor Benjamin Reed with Washburn University is a local expert on turtles and their activities in the Sunflower State. He said people can pitch in if they want to speed up a turtle’s pace across the street to help them reach the intended destination safely.

Reed told 27 News about some of the do’s and don’ts associated with helping turtles. One point he wants to make clear is that while it helps a turtle to move them off a busy road, it is also important to put the turtle in roughly the same direction it was heading in previously.

“It is a good idea to put it in the direction it was headed,” Reed said. “It does seem true that they’re stubborn, so if you put them in the wrong direction, they’ll turn around and try again.”

People will also need to make sure they don’t cause any harm to the turtle when they touch it. Reed said that, if possible, you should wash your hands before touching a wild turtle or wear gloves. This will prevent potentially harmful bacteria, sunscreen or insect spray from passing on to the animal. People should also wash their hands after touching a wild turtle to reduce the risk of contracting an illness such as salmonella.

“We always think about turtles giving us disease, but we should also keep in mind what we pass onto the turtles,” Reed said.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) reports that 14 different species of turtle call Kansas home, any of which may be encountered by drivers on the road as they search for places to lay eggs or to find mates. From smaller varieties like the northern map turtle to the larger alligator snapping turtle, people may come across one or more struggling to cross a road during the year.

“Most turtles will mate throughout the year so nesting season occurs simultaneously with breeding season,” Reed said.

Reed recommends picking up smaller turtles and moving them across the road but said that people should try to act as a crossing guard for the larger snapping turtles as they are heavier. He also said people need to make sure it is safe to stop and get out of their vehicles before trying to help a nearby turtle.

“If it’s safe for the person, I would always recommend helping it across the road,” Reed said. “I think helping a turtle cross the road is a perfectly acceptable/good thing to do.”

Reed said people shouldn’t take a wild turtle home as a pet. Reed also reminds people to avoid placing turtles directly in water as some species, like ornate box turtles and three-toed box turtles, aren’t aquatic while some may not have wanted to enter the water in the first place. He said people should be direct when helping a turtle cross and make sure they reach the other side but not take them any farther.

“Some people may see it crossing the road and try to put it in a nearby body of water,” Reed said. “The turtles know what they’re doing, they’re not stupid creatures. They’re on land for a reason.”

Reed also gave out some other advice for good turtle care such as planting native plants in your backyard they might feed on and being careful when mowing. He said people should avoid taking wild turtles home as pets as well.

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