A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California
Stray Turtles Do Not Always Need To Be Rescued
You don't need to pick up a turtle to rescue it just because you find it walking on land, |
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If you see a turtle crossing a busy road or stopped in the middle of a road, if it is safe for you to do so, you should move it to the side of the road in the direction it was going, then leave it there. That is probably all the help wild turtles ever need from humans. If you see a turtle walking on land, it is probably not sick or lost. Turtles do not spend their entire time in the water. In the Spring, many female turtles can be found traveling on land looking for a suitable place to lay their eggs. Turtles also walk on land looking for food, mates, or a better place to live, so the best thing to do if it's not in immediate danger is to let it go on its way. Many well-intentioned people think they are helping a turtle by picking it up and bringing it to a wildlife rehabilitation center, or putting it somewhere they think is a better place for it, but they may actually be harming it by removing it from the wild unnecessarily or moving it away from an area where it is established and where it has learned how to survive.xz |
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