They are looking for a sexually active turtle to mate with. If you happen to have another turtle of the opposite sex that wants to stay in your yard you might have a chance of them staying.

If you do decide to do a road rescue move the turtle to the opposite side of the road in the direction it was facing rather than just turning it.

As maifleur said above...

Also, turtles have very small territories (like a mile?) and they always go back to their natal pond to breed.

It so amazing to know how turtles search for their partner and go back to their nesting pond for laying eggs. I Have had read from an article about the Turtle Island in Malaysia. You can also search it from Google.

Thanks

The turtles travel to lay eggs, not mate.

Sorry but the most common turtle we find on the roads are one of the various box turtles. I have attached a article written but the Missouri Conservation Department concerning the box turtles that we have.

Please scroll down to the paragraph that talks of LUST.

Here is a link that might be useful: Missouri Box turtles

I'm sorry maifleur. I was talking about Common Snappers. I should not have just assumed. My fault.

But I assumed what turtle the OP was talking about because I have made hubby stop while I moved the box ones off the road. I have move a couple of alligator snappers off the road to my hubbies horror. The first one I pointed in the wrong direction not knowing any difference.

Now OP which type of turtle were you posting about?

They were all the same common box turtle about the size of a saucer. So cute.

"Research has shown that road-crossing box turtles are typically young (not yet sexually mature) turtles or young adult male turtles. Adult females and older males make up but a small percentage of these wanderers."

I think that we can still say that they were not traveling to mate. The quote came from your link.

" or young adult male turtles" Adult normally means able to be sexually active.
Also from my link "Young adult male turtles are out looking for mates - just plain lust, you might say."

The turtles we most often see crossing the road here are red earred sliders, and usually it is females going to lay eggs.
Also, due to the drought, and many are in roadside ditches, which are drying up and they are moving to find water.

We see a lot of common snapping turtles too...but never any alligator snappers, which tend to live in deeper water, such as rivers.

why did the turtle cross the road? I dont care...just get it to safety..I have never been able to NOT stop. It is just a "must do" for me.