Pay attention to migrating turtles on the streets

By Tom Gonie
Fishing biologist, fishing department
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

When spring passes into the summer and the warm temperatures start, Michiganders, who tired the winter, start to give up, go over the state. It is a time of renewal and revitalization for many.

But while you set off, you should look for turtles that are also in motion at this time of year.

The late spring and early summer are times when turtles in the landscape are massive. The females are actively looking for nesting sites, and men also hike at this time of year and move between the lakes, ponds and streams that they call at home.

This overland movement often includes crossing streets, which unfortunately leads to a noticeable level of turtle mortality throughout the state. This roadkill can be high enough to influence the local population, and is probably the greatest direct loss of adult turtles by humans.

“Every year I get calls from people in my area for dead turtles on the streets and have only a few answers for them,” said Scott Heintzelman, biologist of fishing and Lake Michigan department for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “It is particularly sad to see or hear from turtles that were deliberately hit on the street.”

Turtles do not start mating and lay eggs up to the age of 8 to 10 years and have an extremely low natural mortality as adults. If they are not crushed by a car tire, can and often live for many decades.

Their low mortality as an adult and the ability to lay eggs annually for 20-50 years is necessary to overcome the extremely high mortality rate of young people and losses of turtle eggs.

In the case of turtles, almost all the natural predators (which we could call “circle of life”) focus on the eggs and baby tortoises, which are easy goals and delicious bite for Michigan's washing tree, opossum and smell populations. A floating baby turtle is also irresistible for bass or wading birds like large blue manufacturers.

As a result, the preservation of these animals really depends on the protection and survival of the adults, who have already survived the glove of predator threats as young people themselves.

The interesting thing about turtles is not that you can live in the wild for 50-100 years. In fact, the edge of turtle populations for adults is so slim that an annual mortality of 6% is often sufficient for adults to jeopardize sustainability and to agree to the local population towards local extinction.

Let this go for a second.

This means that in a population of 100 adult turtles, if six or more are lost every year, this population decreases and finally disappearing.

While the popular varieties in Michigan such as Walleye or white cocks can easily withstand, the sustainability of Turtle sustainability of 35% or 40% will withstand, and the sustainability of turtles is threatened by very low increases over 6% of the threshold.

“Turtles are exposed to many threats, but perhaps the most avoidable is the direct mortality rate for vehicle,” said Jennifer Klebch, specialist in the endangered species of the DNR. “Michigan is the home of 10 local turtle species.

Since the survival of adults is so important for turtles, everything that the public can do to reduce roadkill during the spring and summer months can benefit local population groups.

There is not much DNR to hike the Michigan Ministry of Transport, County Road Commissions or other authorities and groups to prevent these slow animals on streets.

According to Heintzelman, “there are a few turtles in the suggestions and the insights what makes these animals so special to save a few turtles.”