Why did the animal cross the road?
There are more than a million kilometres of roads right here in Canada. If you’re a wild animal that needs a lot of room to survive, it’s hard to go your whole life without crossing a road.So why do they cross roads? And how dangerous is it really?
There are more than a million kilometres of roads right here in Canada. So many wild animals need a lot of room to survive that it’s hard for them to go their whole lives without crossing a road. So why do they cross roads? And how dangerous is it really?
Turtles
Did you know that Canada’s freshwater turtles aren’t doing very well? It’s true. And it’s sad. They’re all at risk, and unfortunately one of the reasons they are at risk is road mortality. Many turtles are hit by cars and trucks on the road.
You might wonder what they’re doing on the road in the first place. Well, turtles often cross roads to get to a good spot to rest for the winter. They also tend to cross roads to get to their nesting areas. Many turtles even use the side of the road as a nesting area! Sounds silly, right? Well, the side of the road is pretty gravelly. And turtles look for sandy and rocky areas to nest. That makes roadsides pretty ideal for turtles — if they weren’t so dangerous at least. It’s particularly sad because it takes a really long time for a turtle to be old enough to have babies. Females usually don’t start laying eggs until they’re about 18 years old! So when you lose a female to road mortality (that’s what it’s called when they are hit by cars), you lose not only her but all the babies she could have had.
So tell your adult to slow down and avoid turtles if they see them on the road. And if it’s safe for them to do so, they can give it a helping hand by moving the turtle off the road — just make sure they move it in the direction it was heading. Whatever you do, don’t try to do it yourself. Some turtles bite, and roads aren’t a safe place for kids. That’s why you should ask your adult for help!
Snakes
Like turtles, snakes have been having a pretty hard time surviving in recent years. And a lot of the reason they’re having such a hard time is because they are often hit by cars and trucks on the road. It’s hard because snakes don’t stand out on the road like other critters do. Sometimes they’re really hard to spot! But you’ll find them on the road pretty often. Why? Well, either they’re crossing the road to get to water or they might also be sunning themselves on the road’s hot surface! You’re probably wondering why they need to sun themselves at all. Well, you see, snakes are ectotherms (EKK-toe-therms). That means they can’t make themselves warm all on their own. They can’t jump up and down a bunch of times. They need the help of the sun. Since roads heat up quickly, they seem like the perfect place to get warm. Unfortunately, there are more and more roads popping up every year, and that means there are more and more roads that snakes find themselves on.
Deer
Have you ever spotted a deer on the side of the road? They’re so beautiful, aren’t they? Deer are pretty active animals throughout the year, but in the fall their activity skyrockets! That’s because it’s their time to rut. Between October and December, they’re out looking for mates, and they’ll search high and low to find one! That often means crossing a lot of roads. It’s also a pretty dangerous time to be out on roads because it’s pretty dark out there. The sun sets earlier, and cars might still be out on the road, so it’s important that the adults in your life keep an extra special watch for deer when they’re driving during this time of year!
Q. Why did the Moose cross the road? A. Because the chicken was on holiday.
Raccoons
Grumble, grumble, grumble. Did you hear that? That’s the sound of a Common Raccoon’s rumbly tummy! Raccoons are especially on the move in the fall when they need to find enough food that they’ll be able to pack on some serious weight. In fact, they can pack 2.5 centimetres of fat on their backs! With all the food they need to eat to gain all that weight, they have to get creative to find food. Some raccoons will cross a lot of roads in the suburbs so they can dig through garbage bins for food! Helloooooooo leftover pizza! They also happily eat the grubs, earthworms and beetles in lawns.