Slow down for turtles!

You're driving.

Along the edge of the road, you spot something small, round and dark, but it's not a rock and it's not another piece of litter.

It's moving, and while it doesn't seem to be getting anywhere fast, it evidently has a destination in mind. It's none other than a turtle -- and if you leave it to continue its trek across the hot, busily-traveled pavement, it's likely to resemble a smashed M&M unless you do something about it.

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So, what can you do? It isn't always safe to transport a tenacious terrapin when there's heavy traffic or distracted drivers. Additionally, Pennsylvania is home to snapping turtles, which are not typically keen on being picked up and have a nasty bite that can result in some missing digits if you're not careful.

It can sometimes be a shell of a situation.

Summertime is a busy period for North America's most widespread turtle, the painted turtle. Right now is when females are seeking out places on land to lay their eggs, and while painted turtles live in slow-moving fresh waters, such as ponds, lakes, or even along small, gentle streams, they dig holes in the ground -- called nests -- to deliver their young.

The nesting period generally continues into mid-July. The baby turtles hatch from their eggs around August or September. You're likely to spot some painted turtle mamas on the move along roadsides, searching for places to lay their eggs, or in an attempt to return to their body of water. How can you help them?

If you need to pull over, make sure that you do so in a safe place, where you are not sticking out into traffic or disrupting other drivers. Turn on your blinkers and be careful getting to the turtle if you're along a busy road. Make sure other drivers can see you -- while it's hard to witness a smushed turtle, it's not worth putting yourself or other drivers in danger.

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All turtles have the ability to bite, but some species, like painted or box turtles, typically are not aggressive and will likely just retreat into their shell when you approach them. Box turtles are able to completely hide inside their shell -- a hinge on the bottom shell allows them to enclose themselves completely, like a box. Take a wild guess on how they got their name!

Painted turtles and box turtles do not get to be as large as snapping turtles -- in fact, an adult painted turtle female is usually 4–10 inches long, according to Wikipedia. The male is often smaller. You do not want to move the turtle further away from their destination -- you just need to help them safely get to where they want to be. So, in the instance of a box or painted turtle, simply pick them up by gently holding the bottom of their shell, with your thumbs firmly over the top part of the shell.

They might wiggle, so hold tight! You don't want to hurt them by dropping them. Carry the turtle towards the direction they were originally facing. They know where they're going and have a good internal compass -- they just need help crossing the road.

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Once you get the turtle across the road, release them and let them go. Place them a reasonable distance from the street, but do not interfere any further than that. They'll eventually ease out of their shell and carry on to where they intend to go. 

In the event of helping a snapping turtle get across a street, I'd encourage a slightly more hands-off approach. Snapping turtles bite as a defensive mechanism -- a study conducted on the bite pressure of a common snapping turtle revealed a bite score of 208 newtons. For the sake of comparison, humans average a bite force of between 300 and 700 Newtons when we bite with our molars. Snapping turtles have a bite strong enough to amputate human fingers and are much larger and heavier than painted or box turtles. 

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If you encounter a snapper alongside the road and want to help them out, I'd encourage the use of a strong stick or shovel. Many prepared Pennsylvanians have shovels in their trunks for digging out of the snow during winter -- if you have a shovel ready, I'd recommend moving the snapper by scooping them carefully up in the shovel and relocating them in that fashion. Be alert, though -- turtles, despite their reputation, can be quick, and you don't want to be on the wrong end of a speedy snapper. 

If you don't have a shovel, you might be able to find a sturdy stick nearby. If you're brave enough, wave the stick in front of the snapper's face and it will likely latch on to it (but watch those fingers!) While the turtle is occupied with the stick in its mouth, you can grasp the turtle by its shell, much like the painted or box turtles, and carry it safety across the road. You'll want to move quickly.

If you're uncomfortable with scooping a snapping turtle up or carrying them across the road, you can always ask for help. The Pennsylvania Game Commission lists several contacts on their website for helping move or get rid of wildlife; to call for assistance, try US Department of Agriculture-APHIS-Wildlife Services: Toll Free 866-487-3297 or reach out to  https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage.

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It's summertime, which means folks are in a hurry to get to their vacation destinations, or are on their way home from a trip. Roadways are busy -- but not just for humans. Keep an eye out for our shelled friends and help save a life by slowing down and occasionally helping a turtle cross the road!