Gopher Tortoise road kills :-(

I was enjoying a rather peaceful 17 mile bicycle cruise yesterday when I unfortunately happened upon this dead gopher tortoise. The shame of it is that this animal had been intentionally struck. The smear of gruesome started in the middle of the lane, so the driver had to swerve to hit this animal.

In Georgia, many of our gopher tortoises are now stuck to residing in the park-like settings created on the shoulders of roads due to the lack of fire maintained, low basal area pine savannas. This, unfortunately, places them at great risk of being struck by cars. Equally sad, a student from Clemson University placed fake turtles in the road a couple years back and discovered some drivers intentionally swerved to hit turtles (Study Shows People Will Swerve To Hit Turtles In The Road | CINEMABLEND).

Please support projects that restore habitats near existing gopher tortoise colonies to get them to move away from roadsides. Also support projects that create under- or overpasses for wildlife (information here: Caution: Wildlife Crossing).

And also, please tell folks (especially in Florida) that gopher tortoises are not sea turtles and shouldn't be thrown into the ocean! Source: Please Don't Throw Tortoises Into the Sea, Florida Wildlife Officials Warn - ABC News

We had four hit infront of our property last year. Game and wildlife says we can't do anything to restrict their movements. Sad when it happens. We still have atleast four living on the property at this time. I have seen one baby this year so hopefully more babies are running around. We have 1000 ft of frontage on a hwy 20 and it is clear that people try to hit them. I have even heard that some of the local cops are into what they call chipping. Trying to catch a turtle with a tire right on the edge of the shell to shoot it off the road.

That's a terrible sight. I hate seeing that.

All land turtles/torts are at danger of being run over. I've seen it in my own "hood" time and time again and for years have plucked them out of the roads for release elsewhere.

Vanessa, is that your photo that you uploaded to HerpMapper?

Laura, yes, that's my photo. Feel free to use it for educational purposes.

Samuel, the police should not be hitting tortoises, period. Turtles and tortoises have a single body cavity (we have two, separating out guts from our vitals via the diaphram). The turtle takes months to die of painful systemic infection if the shell gets cracked and the internal membrane torn.

Thanks, Vanessa.