DEC: Give turtles a brake this June

Leo Roth | Democrat and Chronicle

Show Caption Hide Caption File video 2016: Kayaker paddles alongside black bear in Hemlock Lake A man kayaking records a black bear swimming next to him in Hemlock Lake.

With New York’s turtle population on the move through June looking for sandy areas and loose soil to lay eggs, the DEC is asking motorists “to give turtles a brake.’’ That means putting the brakes on if you see a turtle crossing the road.

If a driver can safely stop, he or she is asked to move the turtle out of the road and face it in the direction it is headed. All turtles can be safely gripped by the sides of its shell, but use extreme caution when dealing with snapping turtles. One method to move a snapping turtle is to slide a car mat underneath its body and slide it off the road.

It can take up to 10 years for a turtle to reach breeding age and they lay just one small clutch of eggs each year. Losing a breeding female can have a significant effect on any local population. All 11 species of New York’s land turtles are in decline, DEC said.

LROTH@Gannett.com