Box Turtle question

[mudboy dave]

Yesterday while driving down rt 40 from Buena to Salem, it proved it's self to be animal suicide day. I prevented 3 of them from being succesful. First I helped one box across the road, second there was a German Shepard chasing cars, that I brought back to its owner. Then on my way home where 40 crosses 55. I saw a box turtle upside down on the shoulder of the road that appeared "un-squished". I couldn't help but to turn around and see if it was still alive. It was . So I brought it about 50 feet into the woods and placed it right side up and waited a couple minutes from about 10 feet away to see if it would at least poke it's head out. It never did. I know it was still alive because it shut its shell tighter and I saw him move his feet. What I'm curious about is how long can these guys go on their backs? I'm hoping I saved him in time. I'm guessing the wind of a tractor trailer blew him over. If someone could answer this it would make me feel better. I was debating if I should bring him to Medford Wildlife Refuge.

 

[manumuskin]

Mudboy
The Boxie can survive quite sometime upside down.They can breathe just fine and I presume they could live that way till thirst,hunger or exposure to either heat or cold killed them but no fear of this happening.boxies have necks that are long enough and strong enough to easily flip themselves upright and they will do so as soon as they feel safe exposing themselves.The exception to this might be on a smooth floor or ice( a boxie has no buisness out on the ice anyway). I once saw an idiot (whom I won't mention) throw a boxie into a vernal pond full of clear water about hip deep.It was early spring and still quite cool so i figured(by the way the turtle sunk to the bottom and landed upside down) I would wait a minute knowing turtles even boxies have amazing breat holding talents; to see if he would right himself.he waited about a full 60 second count and then used the same tactic he would on land and flipped upright.Wether he got water up his nose or not I don't know but he calmly walked out into deeper water till i lost visibility.I didn't wait and try circling the pond to see when and where he would come up but felt sure he could take care of himself so me and nitwit departed.I would have braved the water and rescued him shortly if he had not did it himself.By the way did you know during hibernation turtles can breathe out their butts?I know many people that can talk out theirs
Al

 

[mudboy dave]

Lol, thanks Al. This makes me feel better. I know quite a bit of them type of people too, However didn't know the Boxes could breathe out their butts lol

 

[dragoncjo]

Mudboy good stuff getting them off the road.

As for the being flipped over thing....on a warm day with sun that boxie would have cooked in about an hour if it couldn't flip himself over. While they can normally flip themselves back up if they are week from the sun this is a death sentence. Once again good job.

 

[lakesgirl]

i don't know if this is fact or an old wives tale, but i've been told when helping a turtle cross a road to take it in the direction it was facing. otherwise it will turn around and head back.

thanks for saving the critters!

it makes me extremely angry to see a turtle squished on the shoulder of a road....you know they were aimed for.

 

[mudboy dave]

Thanks Dragoncjo, I've been doing this since I got my licence, my mom always did it before, just cause I'm a big bad 4x4 guy doesn't mean I dont love my critters. Lakesgirl, I have always heard the same thing, so I do put them across where the were facing. It was sorta hard with the flipped over one. If I put him the way he was facing he wouldve been walking down the shoulder of 40