Why are There So Many Turtles on the Road in Indiana and Kentucky

This past week, I was driving down Veterans Memorial when I spotted a large turtle on the side of the road. Sadly, she hadn’t made it. She had tried to cross four lanes of traffic, and a turn lane just to be stopped by the lip on the curb. Turtles aren’t exactly known for their jumping skills. It looked like someone had accidentally hit her.

Why Are There So Many Turtles on the Road in Indiana & Kentucky in June

I’ve actually seen quite a few turtles dead on the road this June, and I’ve had to swerve to avoid even more. It got me wondering...

It turns out June is prime turtle nesting season. According to experts, this is when turtles leave their ponds and wetlands in search of warm, sunny, sandy places to lay their eggs.

Most females will find the closest suitable spot, but some species will travel up to 2 kilometers to find just the right nesting site. They look for sunny, unshaded areas to help keep the eggs warm. The babies develop over the summer, some even stay in their nests through the winter before heading to the water the following spring.

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Some Turtle Populations are All Male

Purdue University’s Forestry & Natural Resources team explains that female turtles are especially at risk this time of year. Because they must leave the safety of the water to lay eggs, they face a higher chance of being hit by cars. When that happens, not only do we lose the female, but also her eggs, and those eggs are already vulnerable to predators.

To make things worse, turtles take a long time to reach sexual maturity, anywhere from 8 to 25 years, depending on the species. That means every adult female lost has a long-term impact on turtle populations.

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What You Can Do to Help Turtles on the Road

Okay, so first off, if you want to stop and move a turtle off the road, that's great. Just pick up both sides of the shell and move it to the side of the road it was pointed to, and then wash your hands. Never pick up by the tail as you can damage its spinal cord.

If you encounter an injured turtle that needs medical attention, call the Indiana DNR at 800-893-4116 or 317-232-4080 during business hours, 765-473-9722 (northern half of Indiana) or 812-837-9536 (southern half of Indiana) after hours or visit wildlifehotline.info.

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Can You Keep a Wild Turtle as a Pet?

Don't ever take a wild turtle away from the area you found it. Turtles get acclimated to certain areas, and when you move them, you put them at risk of picking up diseases and other sicknesses that their body may not be able to fight off. Aside from that, they are messy, don't like being handled, can be aggressive, carry salmonella and other diseases, and live for a really long time. If you MUST have a turtle, visit our friends at Metazotics.

Oh, also, it's illegal to keep a certain type of turtle in the State of Indiana and remove wildlife from its natural habitat in Kentucky.