With snapping turtle mothers leaving their ponds to lay eggs on dry land, the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section is urging residents to watch out for the animals.
A snapping turtle on Elm Place on May 31, 2016. Photo published with permission from its owner
Nesting season is underway and female turtles are beginning to cross roads and lawns in order to find safe places for their newly laid eggs to hatch, according to Officer Allyson Halm, head of Animal Control.
People around town are uninformed about and even frightened by the sudden appearance of the prehistoric creatures, though there’s no reason to be scared of the placid reptiles, Halm said.
A snapping turtle photographed last month in Lakeview Cemetery. Photo published with permission from its owner
“The sad thing is that people will run them over, and sometimes intentionally,” Halm said. “We are just asking people to yield to them.”
Police have received reports of numerous sightings around town over the past several days, including on Elm Place, Fieldcrest Road and in Lakeview Cemetery, she said.
Everybody should allow the snapping turtles to move on their own. One of the best things to do when faced with a snapping turtle in the road is to help slow traffic down.
“If you are inclined to help them across the road, do not change their direction,” Halm said. The turtles will simply turn back around instinctually to reach their desired destination, forcing them to cross the road for a second time. Relocation of turtles can also create an imbalance in a pond. More than one snapping turtle in a pond is not good, according to Halm.
It is important to remember that these snapping turtles are wild animals, she said.
“They will lash out,” Halm said. People must use good judgement and caution when helping turtles, she said.
Animal control does not interfere with the lives of the breeding snapping turtles unless an animal is stuck, a policy that everybody should follow, Halm said. Sadly, some motorists intentionally run them over.
“I believe these animals should be federally protected, because people are really abusive to them,” Halm said.
According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, late May through June is the highest nesting time in southern New England. Snapping turtles are willing to travel far to lay eggs in banks, lawns, gardens, and other similarly appealing areas.