College student's turtle project takes dark twist
By By JEFFREY COLLINS | Associated Press – 23 hrs ago
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson University student Nathan Weaver set out to determine how to help turtles cross the
road. He ended up getting a glimpse into the dark souls of some humans.
Weaver put a realistic rubber turtle in the middle of a lane on a busy road near campus. Then he got out of the way and
watched over the next hour as seven drivers swerved and deliberately ran over the animal. Several more apparently tried to
hit it but missed.
"I've heard of people and from friends who knew people that ran over turtles. But to see it out here like this was a bit
shocking," said Weaver, a 22-year-old senior in Clemson's School of Agricultural, Forest and Environmental Sciences.
To seasoned researchers, the practice wasn't surprising.
The number of box turtles is in slow decline, and one big reason is that many wind up as roadkill while crossing the asphalt,
a slow-and-steady trip that can take several minutes.
Sometimes humans feel a need to prove they are the dominant species on this planet by taking a two-ton metal vehicle and
squishing a defenseless creature under the tires, said Hal Herzog, a Western Carolina University psychology professor.
"They aren't thinking, really. It is not something people think about. It just seems fun at the time," Herzog said. "It is the
dark side of human nature."
Herzog asked a class of about 110 students getting ready to take a final whether they had intentionally run over a turtle, or
been in a car with someone who did. Thirty-four students raised their hands, about two-thirds of them male, said Herzog,
author of a book about humans' relationships with animals, called "Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat."
Weaver, who became interested in animals and conservation through the Boy Scouts and TV's "Crocodile Hunter" Steve
Irwin, wants to figure out the best way to get turtles safely across the road and keep the population from dwindling further.
Among the possible solutions: turtle underpasses or an education campaign aimed at teenagers on why drivers shouldn't
mow turtles down.
The first time Weaver went out to collect data on turtles, he chose a spot down the road from a big apartment complex that
caters to students. He counted 267 vehicles that passed by, seven of them intentionally hitting his rubber reptile.
He went back out about a week later, choosing a road in a more residential area. He followed the same procedure, putting
the fake turtle in the middle of the lane, facing the far side of the road, as if it was early in its journey across. The second of
the 50 cars to pass by that day swerved over the center line, its right tires pulverizing the plastic shell.
"Wow! That didn't take long," Weaver said.
Other cars during the hour missed the turtle. But right after his observation period was up, before Weaver could retrieve
the model, another car moved to the right to hit the animal as he stood less than 20 feet away.
"One hit in 50 cars is pretty significant when you consider it might take a turtle 10 minutes to cross the road," Weaver said.
Running over turtles even has a place in Southern lore.
In South Carolina author Pat Conroy's semi-autobiographical novel "The Great Santini," a fighter-pilot father squishes
turtles during a late-night drive when he thinks his wife and kids are asleep. His wife confronts him, saying: "It takes a
mighty brave man to run over turtles."
The father denies it at first, then claims he hits them because they are a road hazard. "It's my only sport when I'm
traveling," he says. "My only hobby."
That hobby has been costly to turtles.
It takes a turtle seven or eight years to become mature enough to reproduce, and in that time, it might make several trips
across the road to get from one pond to another, looking for food or a place to lay eggs. A female turtle that lives 50 years
might lay over 100 eggs, but just two or three are likely to survive to reproduce, said Weaver's professor, Rob Baldwin.
Snakes also get run over deliberately. Baldwin wishes that weren't the case, but he understands, considering the widespread
fear and loathing of snakes. But why anyone would want to run over turtles is a mystery to the professor.
"They seem so helpless and cute," he said. "I want to stop and help them. My kids want to stop and help them. My wife will
stop and help turtles no matter how much traffic there is on the road. I can't understand the idea why you would swerve to
hit something so helpless as a turtle."
College student's turtle project takes dark twist
Started by
little frog
, Dec 28 2012 07:10 PM
46 replies to this topic
#5
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- VibeTribe
- 14,139 posts
Posted 28 December 2012 - 07:21 PM
I have a rule that whenever I see a turtle on a country road, I stop and help it get across safely. One time I had to flag down a driver who was approaching really fast, and aimed directly for the turtle! When he stopped (about a foot from crushing the little guy!) he asked me if I needed help, and I pointed down in front of his car and said "No, you almost ran over that turtle!" He looked at me like I had three heads!!! 
He shook his head with this confused look on his face as I picked the turtle up and put him in the grass on the other side of the road.
Here's a painted turtle I helped out a couple years back:
He shook his head with this confused look on his face as I picked the turtle up and put him in the grass on the other side of the road.
Here's a painted turtle I helped out a couple years back:
#18
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- VibeTribe
- 13,540 posts
Posted 28 December 2012 - 09:25 PM
We found an Eastern Box Turtle in a bad way on the road in front of our house in Michigan. Set up a large aquarium for him and fed him crickets and veggies for about 8 months. Little guy doubled in size and was quite a character. Released him near the creek behind the house, to which I think he was heading originally.
He was a cool temporary pet, but it felt good to let him go back to the wild.
He was a cool temporary pet, but it felt good to let him go back to the wild.
#19
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- VibeTribe
- 8,055 posts
- Locationthe Island
Posted 28 December 2012 - 09:33 PM
We found an Eastern Box Turtle in a bad way on the road in front of our house in Michigan. Set up a large aquarium for him and fed him crickets and veggies for about 8 months. Little guy doubled in size and was quite a character. Released him near the creek behind the house, to which I think he was heading originally.
He was a cool temporary pet, but it felt good to let him go back to the wild...that is until some fucking cock sucker ran him over while he was crossing the street!!!
oh my...that's terrible
#25
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- VibeGuide
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- 2,988 posts
VibeGuide
Posted 28 December 2012 - 10:45 PM
Sadly, I am no longer surprised by this kind of horrible behavior.
I once "helped/shoved" a fairly huge snapping turtle (30lbs+) that was hissing at passing traffic, across the road with the help of a snow shovel that I had stowed in my trunk... it was still very PO'd but ambled off into the brush.
We have seen 70+ pounders around here... If someone tried to run over one of those beasts they'd probably wreck their vehicle!
I once "helped/shoved" a fairly huge snapping turtle (30lbs+) that was hissing at passing traffic, across the road with the help of a snow shovel that I had stowed in my trunk... it was still very PO'd but ambled off into the brush.
We have seen 70+ pounders around here... If someone tried to run over one of those beasts they'd probably wreck their vehicle!
#32
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- VibeTribe
- 14,139 posts
Posted 29 December 2012 - 04:26 PM
I picked up a snapping turtle to help it across the road once, and it stuck it's head way out and tried to bite me - I think it gained some frequent flyer miles on it's way into the ditch!
I don't mind helping, but I sure don't want to lose any of my fingers in the process!
I don't mind helping, but I sure don't want to lose any of my fingers in the process!
#35
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- VibeTribe
- 8,284 posts
- LocationWhisky a Go Go
Posted 29 December 2012 - 07:52 PM
I had a classmate that I grew up with back in high school that would go out of his way to try and hit squirrels crossing the road.
I couldn't understand why someone would do that just for fun, and I really still can't. But as the article postulates, it must be an ego/power trip thing.
I couldn't understand why someone would do that just for fun, and I really still can't. But as the article postulates, it must be an ego/power trip thing.
#38
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- VibeTribe
- 6,026 posts
Posted 31 December 2012 - 05:30 PM
I picked up a snapping turtle to help it across the road once, and it stuck it's head way out and tried to bite me - I think it gained some frequent flyer miles on it's way into the ditch!
I don't mind helping, but I sure don't want to lose any of my fingers in the process!
I have been chased out of streams many a times while fishing by snapping turtles big enough to remove extremities. They are mean MFers
#41
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- VibeTribe
- 26,952 posts
- LocationSouthern Colorado
Posted 31 December 2012 - 05:48 PM
So that's where the Novelty women come from?
I drive through there every day....... twice..... I lock my doors though.........
Schenevus, Maryland, Decatur...
Ever wonder why all of Worcester's toilets flush towards Schenevus?
#47
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- VibeTribe
- 8,284 posts
- LocationWhisky a Go Go
Posted 31 December 2012 - 09:38 PM
I mean, if you feel a "thrill" by chasing down something that travels at about 3 miles an hour....
that's a good point... at least the squirrels have a chance when cars try hitting them... they're fairly nimble... what's a turtle going to do?
