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Okay, folks, it's that time of the year: turtle crossing season! As temperatures in the USA heat up, turtles come out of brumation, seek egg laying sites, and begin hatching. This means the chance of vehicle collisions with turtles increases sharply. Road mortality is a common cause of death in wild turtles, and trauma from vehicles is one of the main reasons turtles are brought to wildlife rehabilitators.

If you see a turtle on the side of the road, or crossing, please give them a hand safely navigating their way across - but only if you can do so safely and correctly. Here are some important elements of helping a turtle cross the road: - Ensure that you and other motorists are not endangered in the process. Safety should always be your top priority, as gutting as it can be to miss an opportunity to help because the situation is too high risk. Well meaning people have been hurt or even killed by car strikes trying to help animals cross. Be smart and live to save another turtle another day. - Guide the turtle in the same direction it was headed. They are not lost and do not need to be brought to a location you consider more favorable to them. They are guided by a strong internal compass and rarely deviate from their path naturally. Some species, like box turtles, even maintain a very small roaming radius and can die as a result of being relocated from their habitat. - Make sure that you carry the turtle in a way that is safe for you and will not harm the animal - turtles can bite powerfully, and also have strong claws. This is especially important where snapping turtles are concerned. You should never lift a snapping turtle by the tail; it can cause breaks, degloving, and spinal injury. Carry towards the back of the shell, and if the turtle is too large for you to carry, it is better to slide/scoot it along the ground than risk dropping it. - Don't turtle-nap! You may think a tiny hatchling like the one above (who was helped across the street) is impossibly small and alone in a big scary world, and needs to be taken home and raised until it is larger. While you may have good intentions, most turtles brought home by well-meaning finders wind up with metabolic bone disease, respiratory infections, Vitamin A deficiencies, shell rot, and other common ailments. Turtles have demanding care needs, and failing to meet those needs can harm or kill them. Plus, a turtle kept in captivity often lacks the vigor and behavioral skills to thrive in the wild without careful reacclimation. - Do not disturb a digging turtle. The big softshell above was near the side of the road, but she was not crossing: she was digging a nest to lay her eggs. Being relocated during the egg laying process can cause stress, injury, and a failure to lay eggs in appropriate location for them to hatch. Mom knows what she is doing; leave her be! - If you find an injured turtle on the side of the road, place it in a secure container in a quiet, low-traffic, warm, dark area of the house until you can find a rehabilitator or facility that can take and treat it. Do not attempt to doctor wounds yourself, do not soak the turtle in water, and do not attempt to feed it. Depending on the animal's condition, efforts to help can do more harm than good, which is why skilled professionals in wildlife medicine are needed to properly assess the animal and determine the best course of treatment. Compassion is a virtue, and helping turtles cross roadways is an act of kindness that helps protect our precious native wildlife. Just make sure your good intentions do not amount to harm. Drive safe and watch for turtles!

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Another sketch brought to you by #paleostream!

Drazinderetes, a giant marine soft shelled turtle from the Eocene of Pakistan. Here a basal sea cow is vibing on it's back. As it should.

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Had a bit of time to spare so... I doodled my favorite turtle! Rise's Donny is amazing but I wanted him to look more like a Soft Shell. I might doodle him more in the future, along with the others.