Wildlife

Snapping Turtle Road Crossing Safety

Snapping turtles cross roads to find nesting sites, resulting in large numbers of traffic deaths each year at a critical time for reproduction.

Key Facts

Females travel up to 1.5 miles from water to find nesting sites
Thousands of snapping turtles are killed on roads each year in North America
Adults take 15-20 years to reach sexual maturity, making each death significant
Road mortality is a leading cause of population decline in many turtle species
Simple signage and crossing assistance programs dramatically reduce mortality

Welfare Considerations

Snapping turtles killed on roads often die slowly from traumatic injuries. Females killed while nesting remove decades of future reproduction from local populations. Road crossing programs where volunteers help turtles across roads in the direction they are heading are simple and highly effective welfare interventions.

What You Can Do

Help turtles cross roads in the direction they are heading
Never move turtles away from their destination
Report wildlife crossing hotspots to local transportation departments
Support wildlife crossing infrastructure in turtle habitats
Participate in local turtle monitoring and crossing assistance programs