We soon have a special event to look forward to, with the return of our warm weather we also have the return of our Turtle population. After a long winter's sleep there is much to do in a short time for our turtles.

Turtles and Tortoises have been on the earth since prehistoric times. When you see a turtle or tortoise you are looking at a creature that has evolved and has made adaptations to enable itself to live in almost all areas of this world. Literature and folk legends in all cultures all include turtles and tortoises as a very intricate part of their stories.

Why does the turtle cross the road? To get to the other side. Old joke, but turtles have a very definite range area, they know where they want to go and can't often be persuaded to change their minds. It has been observed that some turtles have a very effective homing ability that can lead them back to their home area if moved even a couple of miles away.

Some of my friends have brought me turtles they have found on the road, and as much as I appreciate this, turtles should not be removed from their range area. If you see a turtle on the road (always keeping traffic safety in mind first) you can place it on the side of the road in the direction in which it is headed. If you place it on the side it came from, it will most likely turn and go back to where it was heading before. NOTE: If the turtle you see is a Snapping Turtle, unfortunately, it will have to be on its own because Snappers require very special handling.

We are losing a large portion of our turtle and tortoise neighbors by encroaching on their home territories. Our buildings, roads, land management (flooding or draining) and timbering are destroying much of the areas turtles reside, and if there are not similar areas nearby, they are lost.

Turtles and tortoises play a definite part in our eco system. Their diets of vegetation, animal matter and insects can effect the area in which they inhabit. My friend was telling me about her garden and how it was infested with slugs, she didn't want to use insecticide , but didn't know what to do because it was not doing well, then one day a little turtle showed up. Within three days the slug problem was under control, the garden was happy, my friend was happy and the turtle was very well fed.

Turtles and tortoises can have a life span that equals or surpasses our own. Land turtles and tortoises can live between 60-100 years, aquatic 20-40 years. Because of this long life span, many turtles and tortoises no not sexually mature until they are at least 5 -15 years old, this makes reproduction very slow and the loss of even a few mature animals can have a definite effect on the population.

Keeping a turtle or tortoise as a pet requires a very definite commitment to learn all about the species and how to provide the best and most natural environment possible. This should be done before the animal is acquired, it should never be an impulse buy. Captive turtles should not be put back into the wild, since they might not know how to find food and shelter. Non native turtles cannot be let loose in this area, since they cannot survive the climate and could kill the native population. (Example: red Eared Sliders, a tropical and more veracious species that is often sold in pet stores.)

Here in our area there are several types of turtles, some we can readily see and some we rarely see at all.

Having raised and studied Desert Tortoises in California and now local species I have developed a great respect for this creature. I hope this article has answered a few questions but more important, I hope it has raised a few more. It is important that we appreciate our turtles and tortoises for the important part they play in our world. I am a member of the New York Turtle and Tortoise Society and would be happy to do my best to help with questions or problems concerning turtles or tortoises

Let's look forward to the return of our turtles and do our best to make it a pleasant and

safe season for all.