Not totally sure about that 2nd claim, but this is nice to see.
This conjures an image of a very determined Bert the Turtle smoking a cigarette and declaring "I'm gonna derail that fucking train."
Yeah "to stop them being blocked by the rail and giving up and going another direction" sounds much more accurate.
Even if you don't, I believe in the turtles!
Go on little dudes, keep derailing those trains!
Turtles can't derail a train. Turtles go squish. Even if you piled them up 6 foot high in front of the train.
Apparently, leaves that fall on the track are a significant issue that can cause derailments since they can turn into a lubricant when squished according to Forbes. I wouldn't be surprised if turtles did the same (but don't quote me on that)
With that said, the only thing I've actually found involving turtles are them getting stuck in switches
That article does not state that leaves can derail trains. The gunk/mulch that results from trains crushing leaves lubricates the wheels, which reduces the friction. That means it takes longer for the train to accelerate and brake. It can potentially be unable to stop as quickly as it should, which can potentially lead to more accidents, and then to more derailments. It contributes, it isn't a cause.
It just reduces the wheel's grip on the tracks a bit, not unlike how water on the road can reduce the grip of your tires. It's still on the track, they're not slipping off it like a cartoon stepping on a banana peel.
Even if leaves were prone to cause this, turtles wouldn't be. The amount of leaves in the world vs the amount of turtles in the world isn't even comparable.
yeah i'm skeptical of that, trains weigh A LOT and i'd wager bone doesn't much bother them.
Turtle on the right is upside down and will die anyway, unless left turt helps flip him over.
Yeah, looks like they can do it pretty easily. Here's a video I found: https://youtu.be/UO0kar6EUwI
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
https://piped.video/UO0kar6EUwI
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.