Wednesday, July 10, 2002
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Wednesday, July 10, 2002 |
| Help out
some long-time residents of PTC woods
I wanted to ask the public to please avoid hitting turtles trying to cross the road. We all know jokes about how slow turtles are, but they really do need our help when trying to cross the road. Box turtles are the most common turtle I see dead on the road; their defense when threatened is to close up in their shell. They just don't realize that this is not a good defense with cars! Pond turtles (cooters and sliders) and snapping turtles can't close up in their shell and continue to walk across the road despite the traffic. I realize humans need to protect themselves from traffic accidents, but, if possible, please move to the other lane to avoid hitting the turtles. If an adult can safely pull off the road and go back to move the turtle to its destination, that's great! If you are able to move a turtle off the road, please move it to the side it was going towards, not the side it was leaving. Turtles cross the road most frequently in the spring and fall when they are either going to or emerging from their hibernation spots. In the summer, the activity is usually females trying to get to their ancestral nesting areas. Turtles navigate by the stars and the sun and moon when it's hibernation or nesting time. The particular female turtle trying to cross Peachtree Parkway may have nested in the same area for 40 years; she has no concept that humans have now built shopping centers or homes in that area. When the baby turtles emerge from their eggs, they will try to find suitable habitat, which may involve crossing a road! Please try to avoid hitting them, and help them across the road if possible. Please don't take the turtle (baby or adult) home for a pet (that's illegal in Georgia!). The turtles deserve the opportunity to live their lives in their natural habitat. Many people mistakenly bring home a box turtle (a land turtle) and put it in an aquarium, assuming it is a water turtle! Conversely, many people don't understand why the snapping turtle won't eat lettuce it's a predator looking for fish! Please let the turtles live in their natural habitat with as little interference from us as possible. Every week I help at least one turtle across the road. June 27 I stopped to help a box turtle on Peachtree Parkway South, but just as I got out of my car, I saw a speeding car aim for it. I was too late! There was little traffic on the road, and no one in the adjacent lane at that time; the car could have easily avoided the turtle, instead of purposefully killing it. What a shame! Further down the road I was able to help another turtle, but I still ache for the one that was killed. Turtles live 50 to 100 years. They were Peachtree City residents long before we were. Let's please help them move across the roads. Connie Haynes Peachtree City naturecorners@mindspring.com
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