The press of work and a stiff wind made me less than enthusiastic about taking a spin on my bike. But I’d reached an impasse in the article I was working on. Cycling always clears my mind, so I figured that a couple of hours away from my desk would help me unblock the recalcitrant narrative line. Besides, I needed the exercise, even if I was already pretty tired. So I saddled up and headed out for a circuit on my favorite 20-mile loop. I was right to think that I’d feel better once I was underway, and I felt even better half an hour later when I rounded a bend to find a painted turtle hunkered down in the road.

I’d just been passed by several speeding cars, and at first I thought that I’d arrive on the scene too late—that the turtle had been struck. But I stopped anyway and was happy to see that the turtle was alive and well, even if she had withdrawn into her shell.

Ducking into a hard shell is a wonderful defensive strategy when a hungry coyote is sniffing about, but it does little to protect a turtle from a couple of tons of hurtling metal and glass. So, to make doubly sure that the turtle was unscathed, I lifted her from the pavement and gave her a once-over. That’s when I noticed the pair of fat leeches clinging to her carapace.

It only took a minute to flick the two hitchhikers off their host with a stick. (The turtle seemed none the worse for having giving them a free ride—and probably a free lunch, into the bargain.) Then I carried the endangered traveler well off the road and put her down near the edge of a boggy woods—this was where she’d been heading—before wishing her well and continuing on my ride.

A bit later, my circuit took me back to the stretch of road where I’d spotted the turtle. There was no sign of her, and for that I was glad. Any day when you can give a turtle a lift in your “taxi” is a good day as far as I’m concerned. And what about that blocked narrative line? No problem. When I got back from my ride I breezed through the rest of the article. Seems as if cycling is good for whatever ails you, especially when a ride puts you on the scene to lend a helping hand to a needy traveler.

 
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It’s that time of year again. Turtles are on the move, and they often move into danger. Sometimes, though, they hit it lucky. Last week I saw a large snapper quickly cross a road on her own along my favorite bike route. Safe and sound. And a few days ago, I got a letter from Shawn Orbanic, who also keeps his eyes open for turtles. Here’s what he has to say:

Out on a bike ride this morning I came across this little lady putting down her eggs not two feet from the berm of the road:

She had crawled out of a local stream about 100 feet behind her, so hopefully in three months the babies will go that way! I ride this route pretty regularly, so I’ll be on the lookout come the end of August.

Last year Shawn gave 17 hatchling snapping turtles a new lease on life when he gathered them off a parking lot and carried them to a river only yards away. Some of their siblings had already been crushed by drivers in so great a hurry to get to work that they didn’t notice they were parking on small turtles. With luck, this year’s hatchlings will find their own way to the river, and if their directions are off, Shawn will be there to give them a lift.

So how about you? Have you helped a turtle this season? Send us a picture and your story and we’ll post the turtle’s portrait in the Outside Turtle Gallery.

If you’re someone who would like to help turtles but don’t know how, read our tips in “Help Turtles Cross Roads.” And you can print out our Quick Guide for Turtle Taxis, which shows how to safely lift and transport turtles to the other side of the road. Print our one-page guide and carry it with you. Better yet, print out several and hand them around to your friends! The turtles will thank you, each and every one of them.

 
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One Texas turtle is basking happily this morning thanks to the efforts of Barney Ward of Old Fat Man Adventures. Barney noticed a moving bump in the road as he was driving along a lightly traveled road, and when he got close, he stopped to investigate. Here’s who he found:

Click on the photo above for an enlargement. The turtle (possibly a red-eared slider) was moving briskly across the road, heading straight for a yard where large dogs lived. Barney didn’t like thinking what could happen if the dogs found the turtle, so recalling instructions he’d read here at TN Outside, he carefully lifted the turtle to a safer place nearby. Here’s the turtle heading for a wet weedy area:

Barney checked back later in the day and found the turtle had flattened a path to the water through the grasses. Thanks for giving the turtle a lift, Barney. A happy ending!

Learn more about how to be a turtle taxi by reading our tips in “Help Turtles Cross Roads.” What about you? Have you saved any turtles lately? Send us your story and some photos if you can, and we’ll include them to our “Turtle Portrait Gallery.

 
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