Turtle season has arrived! Here’s what you need to know

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Turtle laying season has arrived, meaning thousands of turtles will be on their way fighting for a chance to make it to the ocean.

In a Facebook post from Henricus Historical Park, they ask drivers to be careful when driving around the Dutch Gap or coming to Henricus, and shared a few safety tips from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Turtle safety tips:

• Always keep your own safety in mind, especially when on the road
• Sometimes the animal may be hurt or try to bite -- it could be best to stand guard and make sure it crosses the road on its own
• You can use something like a car mat to help slide the turtle across the road
• You should always move the animal in the direction it was heading

This tip is not from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service however, Henricus Historical Park said if it's a snapping turtle (for the sake of your fingers and hands) leave it alone.

The Virginia Box Turtle ????

In Virginia, Eastern Box Turtle nesting season occurs between late May and late July with two to seven eggs laid in one clutch per year, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife.

The Virginia Box turtle is present throughout most of Virginia in several habitats such as hardwood and pine forests, swamps, stream floodplains and open fields, especially in edge areas, and sometimes in caves.

In hot dry weather, experts from Virginia Department of Wildlife said, box turtles prefer to hide in pools of water, mud or damp grounds. In overwinters, box turtles are several centimeters deep in soil, buried underneath leaf piles and grass clumps.