I’ll bet you never thought turtles were romantic, but I learned a lot researching for this column. To begin with I am a self-appointed turtle rescuer. This is the time of the year when the females meander over hills, dales and roads, looking for the perfect place to make a nest and lay eggs. Frequently they cross roads. That’s where I come in (as well as the rest of my family.) We make sure we help a turtle across a road if we see one.
This year so far, I’ve seen three lady turtles; one digging a hole and two that needed help across the road. Normally this time of the year, female turtles are heading for some place to lay eggs, often in the gravel alongside the pavement. Since they aren’t the fastest creatures in the world, I always try to help them.
Turtles have interesting mating habits. The turtle ladies spend several months partying before venturing out. Here’s the romantic part. During courting, the males face the female and wave their front claws at her, sometimes even caressing the female’s neck.
After partying from March until June, female turtles leave their lake or pond and search for a good spot to lay eggs. That’s where humans enter the picture. Often the turtles put themselves in danger by entering our world of paved roads and fast-moving vehicles.
Several days ago, as I merrily drove down the road, I spotted a turtle half way across the South Shore Drive. I hit the brakes, punched in the flashers and jumped from my vehicle. When I reached her, I saw she was a sizeable painted turtle. I stood behind her, thinking that might speed up her road crossing. Nope, she hunkered down.
She stayed put so I got a good look. Her shell was a dark green, nice and shiny, and she was one of the larger turtles I’ve seen. Lady turtle didn’t move, so I decided to take action and grasped the edges of her shell, carried her across the road in the direction she was going, taking care to hold her far enough away to save my shoes – just in case. I set her in the grass where she stayed for a beat, then moved into the taller grass. I had to admit; she was one of the slower turtles I’d helped over the many years. Hopefully she’ll live to mate again. How could she resist the romantic advances of male turtles?
Leave a Reply