In May and June,
Motorists Should be on the Lookout for Turtles Crossing the Road to Nest
World Turtle Day is May
23
New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos
today reminded New Yorkers that turtles are on the move in the months of
May and June, and asked drivers to "give turtles a brake." In
New York, thousands of turtles are killed each year when struck by
vehicles while migrating to nesting areas. Increasing public awareness of
turtles' nesting behavior can help save this important species.
"A turtle's shell
provides good protection from natural predators, but it cannot protect a
turtle from being hit by a vehicle while crossing a road," Commissioner Seggos
said. "Vehicle strikes are a major cause of
turtle mortality and New York's native turtles are more active this time
of year as they seek sandy areas or loose soil to lay their eggs,
sometimes even near the side of a road."
If a motorist sees a turtle
on the road, drivers are encouraged to slow down to avoid hitting it with
their vehicle. If the vehicle can safely stop, motorists should consider
moving the turtle to the shoulder on the side of the road in the
direction it was facing. Motorists are advised not to pick turtles up by
their tails to avoid injuring the turtle. Most turtles, other than
snapping turtles, can be picked up by the sides of their shell. Snapping
turtles have necks that can reach a long distance and have a strong bite,
so if motorists try to help a snapping turtle, they should pick it up by
the rear of the shell near the tail using both hands or
slide a car mat under the turtle to drag it safely across the road.
DEC reminds people to never
take turtles home. All native turtles are protected by law and cannot be
kept without a DEC permit.
All 11 species of land turtles native to New York are in decline. Turtles are
long-lived species and it takes many years for a
turtle to reach maturity. Even losing one mature female can have a
negative impact on a local population. Learn
more about New York's native turtles at DEC's website.
Four species of sea turtles
can be found in New York waters, and these turtles are all either
threatened or endangered. Visit DEC's website to learn more about sea turtles.
To help sea turtles, New
Yorkers are encouraged to:
·
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and
Rethink: these are simple steps to help protect all marine species;
·
Don't litter: unwanted
trash makes its way just about everywhere, including into our
waterbodies;
·
Don't release balloons or
lanterns: releasing balloons into the environment is potentially
fatal for sea turtles, as turtles commonly mistake balloons and plastic
bags for prey items like jellyfish;
·
Volunteer for beach and park
clean-ups; and
·
Stay informed and share your
knowledge with others.
In addition, DEC recognizes
May 23 as World Turtle Day®. American Tortoise Rescue (ATR), a nonprofit
organization dedicated to the protection of all species of tortoise and
turtle, created World Turtle Day® to celebrate and protect turtles and
tortoises and their disappearing habitats around the world. These gentle
animals have been around for 200 million years, yet are rapidly
disappearing due to smuggling, the exotic food industry, habitat
destruction, climate change, and the pet trade.
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