Install turtle crossing signs to increase public awareness and improve human and turtle safety.
Without jeopardizing the safety of yourself and others, help turtles cross roads in the direction they were headed.
Video courtesy of Toronto Zoo's Adopt-A-Pond Wetland Conservation Program.
Report road crossing mortalities to the WDNR.
Don’t remove turtles from the wild.
Don’t purchase restaurant foods with turtle products in them.
Don’t purchase souvenirs made from real turtles (shells, etc.)
When purchasing a turtle, verify that it comes from a reputable breeder and that it is not wild-caught. If you're
unsure, don’t buy it.
Don’t release pet turtles into the wild. They often spread diseases to wild populations.
Support turtle habitat protection efforts in Wisconsin such as wetland and prairie restorations.
Supplement historic upland nesting sites that are bisected by roads with new artificial nesting sites located within
non-fragmented habitat and near wetlands. Artificial nesting has been demonstrated to be easily detected and
utilized by nesting female turtles.
Preconstruction planning for wildlife crossing "hot spots" is more economical than enhancing existing road
structures.
Avoid building roads through existing wetlands. Establish bridges if there are no other options.
Keep road widths to minimum standards to reduce crossing distances on roads.
Set up silt fencing in road construction areas to prevent nesting of turtles. Remove fencing after work is complete.
Avoid using welded plastic mesh or webbing in erosion control practices. Instead use products with woven or
unwelded material so turtles won’t get entangled.
Use biodegradable materials in all erosion control practices along roads.
Border roads by establishing rural shoulders or use Type D or Type S curbs in urban areas so turtles can easily
move across the landscape. Traditional curbs and gutters can trap turtles or direct animals into sewers, often
resulting in death.
Below crossing structures, integrate a level passage bench into riprap designs or fill in riprap with gravel.
These methods are both cost effective and allow safe passage for turtles and other wildlife.
Install appropriately sized culverts under roads. Culverts should have a minimum diameter of 1 meter (larger
diameters have proved more effective) for dry culverts. Bankfull width or larger is needed for culverts with
streams and rivers flowing through.
Use flat-bottomed or arched culverts that have lengths as short as the road allows.
The inclusion of natural substrates such as soil and gravel lining the base of culverts provide increased
habitat continuity and encourage turtles to pass through.
Install 0.6-0.9 meter high guide fencing along roads to lead turtles to bridges and culverts. The most effective
fences are ones that deviate movements of turtles by less than 60 degrees and are used to complement existing
crossing structures.
Make sure guide fencing end posts fit tightly against the edges of bridges and culverts so turtles and other
wildlife can not pass through.
Sediment fencing (300 ft along the road) that wraps perpendicularly from the road to wetlands is a proven method
to prevent road crossing mortalities.
Natural vegetation often enhances the "attractiveness" of crossings for a variety of wildlife due to the perceived
continuity of habitat.
Avoid or minimize grading and mowing road shoulders between mid-May to August near lakes and wetlands to increase
the chance of successful hatches among turtles.
Use spot treatment methods to spray or mow invasive species along roadsides.
