Turtle's Life Saved After Being Hit On Road: Here's How To Help

SOUTHOLD, NY — One unlucky turtle who was hit by a car crossing the road and left for dead in a pool of blood had her very own happy ending — thanks to kind-hearted strangers who stopped and saved her life.

Southold resident Carol Mann and her husband Barry were driving on Main Bayview Road near Wolf Preserve on June 4, 2018, when they saw the snapping turtle had been struck.

"She was close to death," the couple said. "We saw what happened, pulled over, and saw that she was still breathing. We ran home to get a box."

The Manns then brought the turtle, who has since been named Katera, to the North Fork Animal Hospital; Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons was called. The not-for-profit turtle rescue organization, which is based in Jamesport, picked up Katera.

"They brought her back to life," the Manns said. "They didn't think she'd make it. It took a whole year, but she's all better now."

During the year, the caring couple called often to check on the turtle. And this week, Karen Testa, executive director of Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons, called the Manns to tell them that Katera was ready to be put back into the wild, where she belongs — and invited them to do the honors, at the preserve near where she was found.

(Carol and Barry Mann)

"They are unbelievable, and have saved so many turtles," the Manns said. The proud couple added that when they were able to set the snapping turtle free, "It was so exciting!"

Testa lauded the Manns for stepping up to help.

"We try to make every rescue a happy ending but unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way," she said.

Still, if people take the time to stop and make that critical call for help, the odds are in favor of the turtles surviving after they've been hit on the road, Testa said: About 85% recover and go home.

The recovery process takes time, though. "Everything turtles do is slow," she said. While birds and other wildlife heal and can return to their natural environments quickly, "Turtles don't heal right away. They take forever."

Katera, Testa said, was hit "and left in a pool of blood." The driver of the car that hit her told the Mann that the turtle was dead, and left. "But they didn't give up," she said.

And that was exactly the right thing to do, Testa said. After turtles get hit, they are frightened and often play dead, she added.

"Even though you think they're dead, they have a slow metabolism, especially when they are hurt. The hope is that someone comes and saves them," Testa said.

Barry Mann touched the turtle's foot and saw that it moved. "He took the chance — and it's good that he did, because she was 100% healthy," Testa said. "The best part was, that at just 15 or so, she has her whole life ahead of her." Turtles, she added, can live to 60 years old.

The turtle's rehabilitation involved recovery from neurologic injuries — when turtles get hit on the road, the tumble and bang their heads. At the Rescue, the turtle was given anti-inflammatory medication, vitamins, and fluids — and brackets were applied to her shell, which was fractured.

Key, Testa said, is treating the turtle immediately before the spinal chord swells and permanent damage is sustained. "It's most important to get them in here right away," Testa said.

Her husband Barry, Carol said, "was so excited to be part of putting her back to where she belongs."

Over the past year when they called to check on the turtle, Carol said they were fearful they might get bad news. "Thankfully, she got better and it feels great to be part of saving her life. It felt amazing to get her back, after one year, to her natural habitat."

The Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons, she said, is a dedicated and special organization. Awareness, Mann added, is critical.

"So many turtles cross over Main Bayview Road near the Wolf Preserve," she said, adding that the couple had put up "turtle crossing" signs to make motorists aware. "There were so many turtles that weren't so lucky."

To the Manns, Testa added: "I can't thank them enough. She would have definitely died on the side of the road if they hadn't taken the extra effort — and made that one phone call. Everyone has a cell phone. Now, because of them, she will live very happily in that pond for the next 40 years."

Carol Mann said that being in touch with Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons educated the couple. "This has made us realize how important it is to protect our wildlife and respect the people that fight so hard to help them," she said.

(Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons)

Educators warn that just because a turtle's shell is cracked when he's lying broken on the road, doesn't mean he's dead.

Recently Testa, executive director of Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons, said the time is now to start looking out for the diapsids on busy roads.

"We're getting to the season now," she said. Around May 1, turtles who have been in hibernation come out slowly and begin to sun themselves. Turtles, she said, are cold-blooded animals and cannot move unless they are at optimal temperature; unlike humans and all mammals, they cannot self-regulate their body temperatures and must receive heat from an exterior source. Without heat, their blood doesn't circulate and they can't digest, she said.

Turtles, Testa said, are mighty and majestic — they have survived 220 billion years and have been on the earth since there were dinosaurs.

"They're amazing creatures," she said.

At the end of April, female turtles, both water and terrestrial, begin to look for nesting sites. "That's why they are roaming around, looking for the ideal spot. Sometimes it takes hours," she said.

Turtles feel with their back legs whether soil has drainage because they don't want the babies in the nest to drown, should there be rain, Testa said.

But despite their innate intelligence, turtles, she said, "are not smart enough to know that roads are there. They were here before the roads, so roads don't compute. There were no roads 220 billion years ago."

To that end, turtles are often struck by cars on the road. Last year, Testa said, about 180 turtles were brought to the Jamesport facility, with about 95 percent rehabilitated and set free. Some who are blind or have lost shells remain at the facility for their own safety, she said.

Often, Testa said, individuals might see turtles with cracked shells on the road and think they are dead— not true.

"They are always still alive," Testa said, adding that the goal is to get the turtles help and determine whether they can be saved — and to relieve terrible pain and suffering.

"The shell is like a skull, a broken bone that feels pain," she said. If a turtle is left to suffer on the road, it can take about four days for it to die, in horrific agony.

"They suffer in pain while flies eat them alive. Please don't turn your back on them," Testa said. "Call for help ASAP. Time is of the essence."

Testa urged anyone who finds a turtle to call the police, animal control, a local wildlife rescue — or, to slide the animal into a side tipped box and bring it to the nearest 24-hour emergency vet for free.

"Be prepared. Be careful. Call to see who treats reptiles, as not every vet does," she said. Turtles may need to be euthanized, or need pain medication.

And, she added, more often than not, the turtles can go on to be rehabilitated and set free — just like the turtle in the photo shown. Some heal so completely a crack is no longer seen. "You will have saved that life," she said.

To find wildlife rehabbers in the United States, click here.

If you find a turtle on the road, call the 24-hour hotline, 631-779-3737.

To donate to the Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons, visit their website or Facebook page or send to Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons, P.O. Box 5, Jamesport, NY 11947.

And on Memorial Day Weekend, a "Shop for a Cause" event will garner donations to help Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons and save native turtles, with retail partners including Carleen Ligozio, Charleston Shoe Co., Corwin's Jewelers, Second Nature Markets and Therapy Life & Style participating.

(Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons)