Mrrrr Friends,
Eastern Box Turtles seem to be trundling about more than usual.
I met a small fellow just the other day who seems to have taken up residence under the wren box next to the garage. I was very intrigued, walked up to him, noting his bright orange eyes and slightly convex bottom plate, and introduced myself, but he turned around and walked away. Given the angle of the light, I suppose he could have confused me with a dog. It upset me a bit, but I understood the little guy’s fear.
Dogs are sometimes guilty of picking up box turtles and carrying them out of their home range. Usually they don’t end up harming them, but since turtles always try to go home, they often make a turtle’s life pretty difficult.
Of course, people are harder on box turtles. Many turtles meet their end on a road, hit by a car – the most frequent reason all sorts of wild things are brought to wildlife rehabilitators. And then there is the ill-conceived notion that a turtle makes a good pet.
Remember, people, that if you remove or relocate a healthy box turtle found crossing the road, you may be separating it from its territory. It will likely make heroic efforts to return to its home turf. Some studies indicate that if a box turtle is released more than a half-mile from its territory, it may never find its way home–but it may spend five years searching for it.
Best bet, if you see a box turtle on the road…resist any temptation to think it will make a good pet; help it across, following its trajectory and perhaps watching to see that it makes it to safe ground. Then go away!
Cats indoors, turtles outdoors!
