Crossing U.S. 80 a treacherous trip for Savannah nesting turtles | savannahnow.com

Searching the shoulder of U.S. 80, Andrew Neidlinger is on the hunt for something he’d rather not find: injured and dead diamondback terrapins.

These small turtles, the only American species that lives in brackish water, are nesting now. The highway’s shoulder, with its higher temperature, open canopy and soft soil make a tempting spot for the females to lay eggs. But many never make it that far.

“It’s terrible right now. They’re smashed all over the place,” said veterinarian Lesley Mailler, who assists with injured turtles as part of the Terrapin Educational Research Program of Savannah, or TERPS, program.

Started and still run by Armstrong Atlantic State University alumnus Jordan Gray, who’s now a keeper at the Houston Zoo, the TERPS network brings together students and professionals to protect and study diamondback terrapins.

via Crossing U.S. 80 a treacherous trip for Savannah nesting turtles | savannahnow.com.