Health & Fitness
Turtle Crossings in the Hamptons
The East End is a wonderful turtle habitat. When driving, please look for turtles in the road. They can't get out of our way, so share the road with the fascinating creatures.
While walking my two dogs on Tuesday afternoon in North Sea, I saw a beautiful box turtle in the road. His head was held high over his beautifully colored shell. I walked toward him to move him out of the road and noticed his shell had a large crack. Apparently he had already been hit by a car. Still, I hoped he could be saved and contacted the Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons. He seemed alert, and he could move his limbs. Unfortunately, they determined that he had to be euthanized. I am so grateful to the Turtle Rescue for coming to his aid, assessing the situation and helping him out of his suffering.
I believe he was hit by a car by accident. These little guys move rather slowly; it is unlikely that he darted out in front of a vehicle. More likely someone just didn’t notice him.
Some years ago there was a huge effort by a nature lover to post turtle crossing signs to make people aware that there are often turtles in the roads. Some of these “Turtle Crossing” signs can still be seen today. I hope this blog reinforces that message for drivers. Maybe this little guy’s tragic accident will help us to try to be more vigilant when driving and hopefully spare other turtles.
