Mama turtles on the move

Herpers, this Tuesday I drove to Bennington and back and saw three Snapping Turtles and three Painted Turtles crossing the roads. From mid-May through June female turtles are leaving the water and traveling overland to their favorite egg-laying locations. This gives us a rare window of time when it is easy to photograph those turtles and help fill in our many remaining documentation gaps.

Of course, if they are still alive, please do help them across the road in the direction they were traveling.

With Painted Turtles you can just pick them up and move them. They rarely bite and when they do, it does not do any damage.

With Snapping Turtles you have to avoid their strong jaws. Remember to keep your hands away from their heads. Their necks are almost as long as their shells, so keep your hands at least a shell’s length of distance from their front end. Smaller snappers (up to about 10-inch shells) can be picked up by the back edges of their shells. Larger Snappers can be carried by the bases of their hind legs, with their heads facing forward and away from you.

I have included below the latest list of the many towns from which we still need photo-documentation of even these two common turtle species. Of course, we here at the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas would also love to receive photos (with the date and location of sighting) of any other turtle species you find in Vermont. Please send this message to anyone you know who lives in these towns and ask them to send it to their fellow residents and post it to their Front Porch Fora.

Thanks for your help. I look forward to your photos and reports.

Jim