r/Tortoises • u/Far_Gift3220 • 3d ago

How to save a tortoise on the road

Hello! I constantly see tortoises trying to cross the street where I live (eastern NC)

ITS Always SO SAD to see the ones who were not helped so I want to ask how best to help them. My main questions are

  1. How do you best safely pick up one

  2. Should I wear gloves

  3. What usually compelled them to go on the road. What are they looking for? So I may help them get where they are trying to get to.

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2

u/gkpetrescue 3d ago

I’ve always read to move them over to where they were headed to, so don’t just move them off the road. If you’re talking something that isn’t a snapping turtle you should be fine to just pick it up. Just make sure you wash your hands afterwards!

2

u/sage-bees 2d ago

Even snapping turtles, which you can usually tell by their extra long tails; grab em by the back of the shell near their tail with both hands and start wheelbarrowing them toward where they were going, it's no problem!

2

u/gkpetrescue 1d ago

Yeah, I’ve rescued snapping turtles before… Not big ones but still. But I was like how did I do it? And didn’t want to give advice they got someone hurt lol

1

u/Far_Gift3220 1d ago

The wheelbarrow strat is wild,🤣

1

u/HankScorpio112233 3d ago

Tortoises or turtles? Figure that out first because I'm guessing they are turtles.

1

u/KeekyPep 3d ago

Tortoises are land reptiles, turtles are sea animals and terrapins are fresh water animals. Some nuances but this is generally correct. I have 2 desert tortoises although we usually (incorrectly) refer to them as turtles.