JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Turtles are becoming more active as winter is behind us now, which also leads to the animals crossing roads more frequently in the coming weeks.
According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, turtles can often be seen crossing the road after they have emerged from their burrows and are on the hunt for food. They enjoy the warm asphalt since they are naturally cold-blooded.
Traveling cars result in the deaths of thousands of turtles every year, so MDC says to “give turtles a brake!”
The most common turtles to see wandering the roads are three-toed box turtles, ornate box turtles, red-eared sliders, painted turtles, Mississippi turtles or snapping turtles.
If assisting a turtle crossing a road, MDC says to move the turtle in the direction it’s traveling.
Turtles should also be left in the wild. Taking the animal outside their natural environment typically ends in a slow death, and there is a severely low survival rate if turtles are taken from their habitat.
For more information on turtles around Missouri, click here.
