Turtles Are On The Move In Minneapolis

Press release from the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board:

August 3, 2021

Share your turtle sightings and help MPRB gather information at bit.ly/ReportATurtle

With help from the public, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is identifying where and when turtles are seen on land in Minneapolis. This information will guide efforts to protect them at critical locations.

Turtles are vulnerable on land, especially when crossing roads and bike paths. In August, baby turtles begin to hatch from eggs laid last spring. Hatchlings head to water through October, depending on temperatures and nest locations. Turtles are also on the move because of the drought, in search of deeper, cooler waters when their ponds dry up.

• • • • Share this information with Minneapolis friends, neighbors and other residents.
      • Report turtle sightings at bit.ly/ReportATurtle.
      • If you see an injured turtle, report details at bit.ly/ReportATurtle and take the turtle directly to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota.
      • Leave healthy turtles where you see them – unless they need help crossing a road. In that case, visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’s guidance on helping turtles while staying safe yourself.

This press release was produced by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board. The views expressed here are the author’s own.