![\"Turtle](\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/06\/Turtle_Crossing_Wellfleet.jpg\")
Turtle Crossing sign at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary<\/p><\/div>\n
In late spring and early summer, adult female turtles cross roads in search of nest sites. Each species has a different habitat requirement, but when searching for a nest site they usually choose sandy or loose soil in lawns, tilled or mowed fields, roadsides, and occasionally backyard compost piles.<\/p>\n
Many people assume that something is wrong when a turtle is crossing the road. People, with best intentions, mistakenly attempt to return it to water, take it home, or, take it somewhere that seems safer and release it. But the best thing to do is leave it alone.<\/strong> The turtle knows where it wants to go and may have been nesting in the same spot for many years\u2014or even decades.<\/p>\n If you spot a small turtle that is in danger of being hit by cars, you can protect it by temporarily blocking traffic if it is safe to do so. You can also speed things along by carefully picking it up by its carapace (the top half of its shell) and moving it to the other side of the road, in the direction it was already headed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Snapping turtles,\u00a0however, can be dangerous and should not be handled<\/strong>. They are surprisingly fast for their size and can extend their necks the length of their carapace. Never pick up a snapping turtle by the tail because you could seriously injure it.<\/p>\n Snapping Turtle at Drumlin Farm \u00a9 Mass Audubon<\/p><\/div>\n Learn all about turtles<\/a> on our website and check out our Turtles By the Numbers<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" To get to the other side…to lay her eggs! In late spring and early summer, adult female turtles cross roads in search of nest sites. Each species has a different habitat requirement, but when searching for a nest site they usually choose sandy or loose soil in lawns, tilled or mowed fields, roadsides, and occasionally […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nature-notes"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-2pq","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14098,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-snapping-turtles\/","url_meta":{"origin":9264,"position":0},"title":"Take 5: Snapping Turtles","author":"Ryan D.","date":"May 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Every year in late spring and early summer, adult female turtles cross the roads of Massachusetts in search of nest sites. One of the biggest (literally) culprits is the Snapping Turtle. Found in all sorts of water bodies, from rivers to lakes to marshes, the Snapping Turtle can grow up\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Snapping Turtle \u00a9 Mark Renehan","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/5591Mark_Renehan27493.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/5591Mark_Renehan27493.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/5591Mark_Renehan27493.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/5591Mark_Renehan27493.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7652,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-paint-by-turtle-numbers\/","url_meta":{"origin":9264,"position":1},"title":"Take 5: Paint by (Turtle) Numbers","author":"Ryan D.","date":"May 18, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Today we're honoring painted turtles, named for the\u00a0unique red and yellow stripes along their heads, necks, and tails. Late May through the end of June is prime time for\u00a0female turtles to search for nest sites to lay their eggs, so be on the lookout for turtles crossing roads and laying\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Painted Turtles \u00a9 Dennis Durette","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/1117DennisDurette3878.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/1117DennisDurette3878.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/1117DennisDurette3878.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8716,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/how-to-help-turtles\/","url_meta":{"origin":9264,"position":2},"title":"How to Help Turtles","author":"Hillary T.","date":"March 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Go out for a nature walk on a sunny day and there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019ll spot a turtle basking in the sun. If something is so common, it probably doesn\u2019t need our help, right? Not so fast. Turtles may be found in our ponds, streams, rivers, and oceans, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Involved"","block_context":{"text":"Get Involved","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-involved\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/03\/2709Tammy_Vezina9656.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/03\/2709Tammy_Vezina9656.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/03\/2709Tammy_Vezina9656.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13783,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-painted-turtles\/","url_meta":{"origin":9264,"position":3},"title":"Take 5: Painted Turtles","author":"Ryan D.","date":"April 13, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A welcome and colorful sign of spring, Painted Turtles are already out sunning themselves after a long, cold winter spent buried under the mud at the bottom of ponds and lakes across the region. Each fall, as water temperatures drop, Painted Turtles, like many other reptiles, will enter a deep\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Painted Turtle \u00a9 Alyssa Mattei","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/04\/760Alyssa_Mattei17320.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/04\/760Alyssa_Mattei17320.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/04\/760Alyssa_Mattei17320.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/04\/760Alyssa_Mattei17320.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15043,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/sea-turtles-and-climate-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":9264,"position":4},"title":"Sea Turtles Face Challenges in Warming Waters","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"December 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Photo \u00a9 Esther Horvath. Lea Desrochers, Turtle Research Assistant at Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary rescues a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle at at Corn Hill Beach, Truro, MA. Every November and December, for more than 30 years, sea turtles strand on the bayside beaches of Cape Cod. At first\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/CLASSI1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/CLASSI1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/CLASSI1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/CLASSI1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15919,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/all-about-sea-turtles-in-massachusetts\/","url_meta":{"origin":9264,"position":5},"title":"All About Sea Turtles\u202fin Massachusetts","author":"Hillary T.","date":"June 16, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"When most people think of sea turtles, they imagine these marine reptiles enjoying the warm waters of the tropics. However, visitors and residents of the Cape\u00a0may\u00a0not realize that each summer hundreds of these turtles make their way into\u00a0waters\u00a0around\u00a0Cape Cod.\u202f\u00a0 Loggerhead \u00a9 Elizabeth Bradfield While sea turtles don\u2019t nest north of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/ridley-in-the-water_Elizabeth-Bradfield-e1623439659360.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/ridley-in-the-water_Elizabeth-Bradfield-e1623439659360.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/ridley-in-the-water_Elizabeth-Bradfield-e1623439659360.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/ridley-in-the-water_Elizabeth-Bradfield-e1623439659360.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9264"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9283,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9264\/revisions\/9283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Small Turtles<\/h3>\n
Snapping Turtles<\/h3>\n
![\"Snapping](\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/06\/drumlinsnappingturtle2013_hillarytruslow-21.jpg\")