After Terrapin Death, Biologists Urge Caution While Driving In NJ Coastal Areas

LITTLE EGG HARBOR, NJ — After a terrapin was found crushed to death in the road, conservationists are urging drivers in coastal areas to be more aware.

An adult female diamondback terrapin carrying eggs was killed Thursday evening on Great Bay Boulevard in the Great Bay Blvd WMA in Little Egg Harbor, the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ said. Click the link to see the photo (warning: graphic content).

This is the beginning of the terrapin mating season, so as the summer gets hotter you are more likely to see these reptiles crossing roads.

"Thankfully, CWF Senior Wildlife Biologist, Ben Wurst was able to respond that evening," the CWF said.

Wurst checked to see if the terrapin had been marked by researchers previously. It was hard to tell due to her broken shell, the CWF said, but he believed that she was previously captured.

He also was able rescue six eggs from the turtle, which were immediately placed inside of the CWF's nearby terrapin habitat enhancement area.

"This will at least give her genes a chance of enduring even though she has not," the CWF said. "We implore all who drive in coastal areas to SLOW DOWN & BE TERRAPIN AWARE!"

They offered the following ways to help terrapins cross the road:

• Stay safe. Never put yourself at risk. Make sure that you do not endanger yourself, or others, by walking into traffic.
• When safe to do so, pull your car over onto the shoulder. Turn on your hazard signals.
• When safe to enter the roadway, approach the turtle and pick it up by grabbing its shell with both hands between its front and hind legs. HOLD ON. Terrapins have strong legs!
• It is important that you move the turtle in the direction that it is heading. They are not always headed directly towards water. They will turn around if you put them in the wrong direction, so work with their instincts.
• Place the terrapin off the road onto the soft shoulder (dirt or grass).
• If you have a GPS or a smartphone, take a photo (or record your location) and add it to our project on iNaturalist (a free app) called "Great Bay Terrapin Project."
• Please to not move a terrapin long distances to “somewhere safe!” They have very small home ranges and moving them will only hurt them.
• NEVER take a terrapin (or other turtle) home to keep as a pet! This is illegal and removing them from their natural environment will only hurt the species as a whole.