This rare Blanding’s Turtle was attempting to cross a busy highway, so I stopped and helped him cross safely. This time of year, many of the turtles crossing the road are gravid females traveling to sandy nesting sites to lay eggs. Nesting locations can be quite a distance from wetlands, streams, or rivers, which poses a great threat when females must cross roads to get there. In areas where turtle road fatalities frequently occur, the installation of barrier fences, to keep the turtles off the road, along with the construction of safe crossings under the road could greatly benefit the turtles in your area. Speak with your roads department, see if they can help make safe crossings to protect the at-risk species in your local area.
