Mother Turtle Hit By Car Was Trying To Lay Eggs

ORIENT, NY — Despite prayers by many who were touched by the plight of a mama turtle hit by a car while trying to lay her eggs in Orient State Park, the story had a tragic ending: The turtle died early Saturday, leaving two eggs behind.

And her story serves as a cautionary tale for the many who drive too quickly without taking time to watch out for the living creatures on the roadways, said Karen Testa, executive director of Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons, based in Jamesport.

According to Testa, the turtle was found in the parking lot of Orient State Park by Jen Murray of Cutchogue, who tried to save her.

Murray, who monitors piping plovers at the park, asked the park staff to contact her if any turtles survived a car encounter. She raced to the park Friday but with road closures, it took her almost an hour to reach the turtle, which had been placed in a box with her two eggs.

Testa, who posted a photo of the turtle and her eggs on social media Friday night, said: "This poor girl was hit in the parking lot of a park trying to lay her eggs."

The photo sparked scores of responses from concerned individuals offering up prayers and asking for updates.

The turtle, a diamondback terrapin, was found with two eggs. "The eggs inside her were all crushed," Testa said. "So we only have the two she popped out on the sidewalk after she was hit. The eggs came out of her after she was hit due to pain."

Testa added: "She was baking in the sun on the sidewalk for undisclosed amount of time before someone decided to help."

On Friday night, Testa asked: "Please pray for her recovery. She is in grave condition."

The eggs were put in an incubator, and the turtle was in the ICU unit in critical condition, given fluids, vitamins and pain meds. The first night, Testa said, would be critical.

But sadly, despite valiant efforts, the turtle did not survive.

"She passed away this morning," Testa said Saturday. "She was warm and pain free."

The turtle's sad plight is a reminder to motorists and boaters, Testa said. "This is the second nesting female we got in a week that passed away. The other was a boat propeller injury. People have to slow down and be more aware of their surroundings. They are selfish and worry about racing around, enjoying themselves — with no regard for others that we share the earth with. We see such suffering and habitat destruction — and it’s all due to humans."

Efforts are in place to put up a "turtle crossing" sign in Orient, where two additional fatalities involving nesting females were reported last Saturday, despite the fact that the park staff had put up signs and warned visitors Murray said.

"People need to be aware that this is turtle nesting season and keep an eye out for them crossing roadways," Murray said.

And, educators warn, just because a turtle's shell is cracked when it's lying broken on the road, doesn't mean it's dead.

Testa said the time is now to start looking out for the diapsids on busy roads.

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 — 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 million years ago."

To that end, turtles are often struck by cars on the road. In an average 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. 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 Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons' 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.