Newborn reptiles and amphibians are on their own from birth with no maternal care. Often turtles are hatched far from water. They don’t need any help. Most of them will make their way to a lake all by themselves. This journey is essential to their development. Whatever their roadmap is and however it works, it is beyond my understanding, but they must be trusted to get there. Bring reptiles and amphibians into care only when they have been injured, or they are out in the winter obviously too cold to move. There're no venomous snakes in Maine.
If a turtle has been killed on the road, bring it to us anyway, because we may be able to hatch their eggs and release the youngsters. If an uninjured turtle is in the middle of the road pick it up, if you can stop traffic safely, and put it to the side of the road where it was headed. If it is a Snapping Turtle, maneuver it onto a car floor mat and drag it across. Never grab it by the tail, or by the mid shell, as the first injures the turtle, and the second can injure you. Snappers have a very long neck and can bite. Many of our threatened and endangered species of turtles spend most of their lives out of water. The common Painted and Snapping are out to lay their eggs. Never take them home, never move them to water. They have been on this earth longer than we have and know what they are doing. We have no right to disturb them.
