I noticed some strange tracks near a lake the other day. At first I was a bit confused as to what could make them. Footprints on either side of a wide drag mark with a deeper, much narrower drag mark up the middle. I followed the tracks for a while before I realized what they were. Although I should have clued in faster. They appear every year this time. Turtle tracks.
Actually, it’s been happening for the last month or so, although all the rain and cooler weather seemed to slow it down a bit. But since I happen to have a place near a lake, I notice when the area is being scoped out.
Turtle heads will pop up out of the water at around this time of year. You just see the heads to start with. Like a stick that appears where no stick was a few minutes before. Then the stick moves a bit. But it seems to be watching.
It’s a rather slow process. If anything moves along the shoreline, the little heads disappear. Maybe they move along to another spot. Or maybe they just wait and try again later. But the slightest movement and they won’t come ashore. Mainly because they aren’t that good on land.
But if you’re still and can keep from moving, they will come up on land. The turtles wander around until they find a likely spot, then dig a hole and lay their eggs. Until they are actually in the process of laying, any movement spooks them. Once they get the eggs laid, they cover them up and head back to the water. It’s sort of fascinating to watch. Unless the spot the want to lay their eggs is on the other side of a road.
Turtles are pretty quick in the water. Not so much on land. And even though we’re getting a bit late in the season, there are still a few we might see crossing the road.
There are good reasons to try to miss them. There aren’t that many turtles so it’s a good idea if they can make more. And because of the shape of a turtle, if you run over them, they can become airborne. And flying turtles can be a traffic hazard.
If you can help them cross, please move them in the direction they were heading in the first place. They’ll just try to get there anyway. And be careful of snappers. Those heads can come back a long ways. Pretty much as far as the hind legs. And you really don’t want one to latch on to you.
So watch for turtles. Unlike chickens, at least we know why they cross the road. To make more turtles.