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My eyes were glued to the tree tops, ears strained for the slightest twitter announcing some spring migrant had arrived at our favorite hiking spot. By chance, I glanced down, and there in a sandy swath of trail was a tiny painted turtle. The narrow hole penetrating the earth nearby indicated this hatchling had just emerged from a winter under the sand.
I froze for a moment looking at this vulnerable creature. It was April and the temperature was in the mid-40s. The nearest pond was 50 yards away through brush and heavy cover. I held the turtle in cupped hands. Sand was crusted over its yellow-striped face. I walked toward the water, temporarily leaving bird observations to my husband.
The turtle began to stir, revived by the warmth of my hands. Reptiles are cold-blooded, elevating their body temperature by basking in the sun. Although they can tolerate cold, they become active when their body temperature is between 72 and 86 degrees. I rinsed the painted turtle at the water’s edge and set it down. The pale red marking along the perimeter of the shell became visible. Although it had help in surviving a potentially hazardous journey to the pond, I knew it was far from safe. Wading birds, frogs, snakes and fish all feed on young turtles in the water.
Very few of them, however, make it to the water. Herpetologist James Harding, of Michigan State University, once estimated 85 percent of all turtle nests are destroyed by raccoons, usually within 48 hours of laying.
Painted turtles lay eggs May through August. It’s likely if you see a turtle crossing the road in the next several weeks, it is a female searching for suitable soil. They prefer open, often sandy places, covered with short vegetation. The female digs a hole with her hind legs and then drops in an average of seven or eight oblong, leathery eggs. She covers them and heads back to the water. No maternal instinct here. She never returns to the nest.
If the eggs are not discovered by raccoons, the turtles will hatch about 80 days later, depending on the weather. Hatchlings from late summer nests may overwinter underground and emerge in spring, like the one I found on the trail last month. Studies have shown nestlings have a natural antifreeze that allows them to survive the cold just inches below ground.
Family Activity
Help The Turtles!
Adult turtles are searching for ideal nesting sites now. Unfortunately, Harding estimates thousands are killed by cars in Michigan alone as they move from the water to lay eggs.
If you spot a turtle crossing the road, pull your car off in a safe place. Rescue turtles only if it is safe for you to do so. Pick up the turtle and set it down on the side of the road where the turtle was headed. If you put it down on the side where it started from, it will likely just cross the road again after you pull away.
It is always a good idea to wash your hands or use sanitizer after handling a turtle. Some “turtle rescuers” toss a towel over the turtle or use gloves when they pick it up.
To raise awareness of turtles on the road this spring, have your children make a sign for your car window that says, “I brake for turtles!”
Don’t take it home.
You might be tempted to bring the turtle home, but turtles are well-adapted to their habitat. Transferring them to a new location exposes them to bacteria and diseases from other resident populations they may not be immune to. In addition, putting a female turtle, laden with eggs, in a kiddie pool will cause her to absorb her eggs, and she will miss her opportunity to lay them. It is illegal to collect box turtles in Indiana and Michigan, our only terrestrial turtle, because they are increasingly rare, in part due to collection for pets.
What about snapping turtles?
These big ladies have very long necks, and as their name foretells, they snap with strong jaws. A flat shovel can be used to scoop up the turtle, or you can pick it up from the back of the shell, one hand on either side of the tail. Some rescuers pick up snappers by the rear legs. Don’t pick them up by their tail, because it could injure their spine.
What if it is injured?
Call a nearby park or nature center. They should have a list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators trained to work with reptiles.
