An Eastern box turtle was struck by a car on a road inside Bruce Park, its shell cracked open and bleeding, according to a letter published Tuesday, July 21, in the Greenwich Sentinel by Greenwich resident Karen Fassuliotis.

Fassuliotis wrote that she discovered the injured turtle and, with help from a Parks & Recreation employee who triaged the animal on site, transported it to VEG Emergency veterinary hospital at 409 East Putnam Ave. in Cos Cob. She wrote that the turtle was receiving treatment as of July 21, though its survival remained uncertain.

The exact date of the incident was not specified in the letter.

"Its shell was cracked open, and it was bleeding," Fassuliotis wrote. "Like many turtles, it had likely spent years — perhaps decades — living in the park before one careless moment on the road changed everything."

A state-listed species

The Eastern box turtle is listed as a Species of Special Concern in Connecticut, added to the state's protected list in 1998 due to population decline, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The species cannot be collected from the wild under state regulations.

CT DEEP identifies vehicle strikes as a major threat to box turtles. Most fatalities involve pregnant females searching for nest sites. The turtles do not breed until about age 10 and can live 50 to over 100 years, making the loss of a single adult significant to a local population.

Box turtles maintain a home range of typically less than two acres where they spend their entire lives. Moving one far from where it was found often results in death, according to CT DEEP.

What drivers should know

Fassuliotis urged drivers to slow down on Bruce Park roads, particularly near the park's two ponds, where turtles cross during warmer months to reach nesting sites, water, or food. She advised that anyone who sees a turtle crossing should move it in the direction it was already traveling, if safe to do so, and cautioned drivers to confirm it is not a snapping turtle before handling it.

Bruce Park spans 60 acres and includes ponds and wooded areas that serve as wildlife habitat.

Residents who encounter injured wildlife in Greenwich can contact VEG Emergency at (203) 909-6560. The hospital is open 24/7, treats reptiles and exotic animals, and requires no appointment.