05/18/2026
On this beautiful spring day, we want to share a reminder to be on the lookout for turtles on the roads. It was a bit chilly the last week, but today is very warm day and turtles are out and about, traveling and crossing roads - we even helped the beautiful snapping turtle in this picture cross one of our local roads this morning.
Up until yesterday we have been primarily admitting male turtles due to car hits, which we commonly see early in the season, but we’re getting to the time where we will begin to see more and more of the mama turtles traveling and looking for a suitable place to nest and lay their eggs. Nesting season is May through July, so we are in the primary time of year where turtles really need all of our help keeping them safe while they make their migrations.
✅ Some advice if you find a turtle in the road:
⚠️ Please be super cautious! Many people are distracted on the roads, so please be safe and diligent anytime you’re near the road and prioritize your safety no matter the situation 👀
🚸 Always help a turtle cross the road in the direction they were already headed. They know where they are going and will just turn around and try again if moved back to the same side they came from. Call/text us anytime when in doubt about a situation, we are here to help: (603) 417-4944.
📝 Special note: snapping turtles will commonly nest on the side of the road, so if they are not actively crossing and you are able to safely do so, observe them before moving them across, in case they are just nesting and didn’t plan to travel across the road.
❤️🩹 If you do come across an injured turtle in the road, please give us a call or text at (603) 417-4944. We always greatly appreciate if you’re able to transport the turtle to us, or we can reach out to our wonderful network of Turtle Transporters to arrange for someone to meet you instead.
For resources on how to hold turtles for when helping them cross the road, check the comments for links to our website articles - snapping turtles require special handling, you only hold want to hold the back 1/3rd of the body but NEVER by the tail. If you have a snow shovel you can keep in the car and/or a blanket, this can help a lot with helping them cross with minimal handling.
Our last note is you can contribute to conservation research by reporting sightings of turtles to NH Fish and Game’s Reptile and Amphibian Reporting Program (RAARP) where you can send a photo and specific details about where you found the turtle, which helps NHFG monitor populations and know where they are crossing roads. We will link to the RAARP program where you can report turtle sightings in the comments.
Thank you for caring about our shelled neighbors 💚🐢
