Make Way For Turtles In North Andover

NORTH ANDOVER, MA -- Drivers can expect to see more turtles on North Andover's road, according to the Conservation Commission from now through the first few weeks of July. While drivers are encouraged to pull over and move turtles to the side of the road if it's safe to do so, they should not move them from the immediate area where they were found.

"Turtles that are found on roads, in backyards, and in other unexpected areas are moving about the landscape to reach resources they need, such as nesting areas. Don’t take them to a 'better place!' Turtles have strong homing instincts, so if you move one to 'better' habitat, it is very likely to try to return home and in the process cross many roads," the commission said in a statement posted on the town's Website Monday. "Where you find them is the area that they are familiar with; they know it intimately because they have grown up in the surrounding area. Moving them also increases the risk of spreading disease to other wild turtles."

Turtles should be removed from the road in the direction they were heading when found. They should never be taken home or moved to an area other than the immediate surroundings of where they were found.

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Photo by North Andover Conservation Commission.