By Staff
The other morning, I was amused to see a box turtle meander stiff legged across the patio. Box turtles aren't our usual patio ornament and I suspected she was searching for a place to dig a nest. Just two mornings later, a snapping turtle appeared in the side yard. Surely, she was also in the nesting business.
The following day I saw yet another snapper crossing M-51 by Sumnerville, nearly a half mile from the closest water.
'Tis the time of the turtles.'
From now through most of next month both snapping turtles and box turtles will be dangerously exposing themselves in search of nesting sites.
Snappers, in particular, often travel considerable distances from water to lay their eggs. They may go overland up to a mile in search of loose, sandy soil to dig their nest. Being too low to see the surrounding terrain, to dumb to analyze it anyway and too slow to do anything else, they just plod forward. This often leaves them running a perilous gauntlet through people places such as open yards and roadways. Once she finds a site she may use it for many years' if given the chance.
Adult turtles have few natural predators but people are another story. We are the number one killer of both box and snapping turtles. Often it's just thoughtless, like one boy I heard boasting about finding a snapper while she was laying eggs. He clubbed her to death and smashed the eggs for no reason.
Some grab up snappers for the meat. "Tastes like chicken," they say. Note that the season in Lower Michigan for catching snapping turtles doesn't open until July 1, after the nesting season. If you want chicken, it's in the meat counter at the grocery store.
A lot of box turtles are taken home for amusement. Junior doesn't take care of it and the turtle expires. Due to their severe decline, box turtles are listed as a species of special concern in Michigan and it's against the law to mess with them.
However, the biggest carnage comes on the roadways. Apparently a lot of folks find sport in running over turtles.
Just the other day, a Dowagiac policeman saw a turtle in the street. He pulled over to help her along, but before he could get to her another car came by and – scrunch.
I don't buy for a minute that squashed turtles are accidental. Nobody accidentally runs over those big chunks of shredded semi-trailer tires lying in the road so how would they accidentally run over an equal sized snapping turtle? If we can avoid running over a beer bottle that may cut our tire, why can't we avoid a box turtle? I suspect some are curious to see if the turtle's shell is strong enough to avoid damage. I'll save you the experiment and tell you even the biggest snapper can't support a ton and a half of vehicle.
While adult turtles have few predators, not so the eggs and young ones. Some experts believe snapping and box turtle nesting success is very close to zero. In these parts, raccoons are one of the biggest culprits. They dearly love omelets and find the nest by the musky odor of the liquid the female secrets during egg laying. The snapper in my yard I mentioned earlier? I found her nest the next day near the septic tank by the egg shells strewn about. Cooner had a fine dinner.
Both snapping and box turtles live a long time, up to 40 or more years in the wild. It's a shame to have all those years invested in life only to be thoughtlessly killed for nothing more than a whim. Give 'em a break. Be nice to the turtles. A word of caution, though; a snapping turtle cannot be safely handled by amateurs. They can bite with lightning speed and enough power to remove a finger. It's deceivably long, snaky neck extends over half its shell length and it can bite straight backwards. Nor should they be picked up by their tail, which can damage its vertebrae. Use a shovel to move her out of harms way. Carpe diem.