This is the first time in many years that I recall seeing so many turtles on the sides of the road. We have had a lot of rain in the past three months, and May and June are mating season for turtles, so they are on the move. I have seen the painted or sun turtles. They favour water. There is pond at the end of our road, and I have seen three swished ones. It gets me so upset! I LOVE turtles. I don't know why. My Dad did, too. He was always rescuing them. (Native Americans believe they bring good luck.However, my Dad was from England ).
We had a pet turtle for eight years. My oldest DS found him as a tiny hatchling in the school parking lot. After Dan went into the Air Force, I found a home for "Arnold" at a wildlife sanctuary. We also had one with a chunk out of his shell. We rescued him. He had been hit by a car. We rehabilitated him, and let him go in the river.
In the past two evenings, the boys and I have rescued two separate box turtles from the sides of different roads. We brought them home and let them go in our woods. It is really disheartening to see how people whiz along on the road, and don't even TRY to avoid hitting them.
I once pushed a HUGE snapping turtle out of the road, and safely down an embankment. Later, a police officer friend of mine told me that he pushed one out of the road one time with his riot baton, and the turtle snapped it in half. He said they can whip around and take your hand off. Yikes!!!