oxcowboy Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 While doing some yard work this evening, as i was cleaning up some fallen branches from our storms last night i came upon this little girl (western box turtle) performing a labor of love. i was careful not to bother her and im gonna stake off her little area so as to not disturb her nest. I looked it up and they say it takes around 70 days for the eggs to hatch, so it will be fun for my boys to keep an eye on the area for the rest of the summer. I have found alot of egg shells in the past and even a newly hatched baby, but this was the first time i have ever caught one in the act of laying the eggs. jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Cool!! Those are great pics!! I've never seen a turtle like that either.... Sinker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 it'll be cool to watch the whole process! Keep us updated! Thanks for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoty Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 thats wicked! great pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJQ Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 I think is great to tape it off and keep an eye out for the hatch!! good on ya!! the kids will love it if they get to see them come outta the ground! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngvedder Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike01 Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Really cool...thanks for posting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoriaRiverMan Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Nice pics. My yard is full of turtles in morning and night laying eggs. Kinda dangerous actually with the snapping turtles.... Gota watch at night that you dont step on them and my dog also has a habbit of teasing them. The snapping turtles (and huge ones) dont seem to be aggresive when laying eggs thank god. I now take a quick walk around the yard in morning and night to insure no turtles. Id almost promise u will miss the hatch unless u watch them 24hrs..... Ive tried for 6 years to see the babies but no luck. Ill try to snap some pics of some large snappers laying this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rattletrap2 Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Very cool! I don't know if we have any turtles like that around this part of the world, but I know I've never seen one. I had a very large snapping turtle laying eggs in the yard last year. I unfortunately did have to re-locate her. Thanks for posting and keep us updated on their progress. Around here, the coons and skunks get the majority of turtle eggs long before they get a chance to hatch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fang Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Like RT said most of the nest are raided by skunks and racoons. Might be a neat idea to put a wire box over the nest to help these little guys along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattyk Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 cool, i have never seen that before. Thanks for sharing the pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnsled Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Very cool. Perhaps what TJ said about taping off the area might be a good idea, maybe even a small fence to help keep the critters away. Or maybe let nature take it's course. No matter what, thanks for posting the pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoriaRiverMan Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Coons are dam smart! If they want them........They will get them. Little buggers even take tops of my garbage cans....... Added weights to the top and they still get in. Worst part is there not even scared of people in most cases......... Had one give me a stare down last year. I backed off as i didnt feel like getting chewed up. Id let nature take its course..... Im still waiting for the dog to have its match with a coon. Its bound to happen ......... He's 180lbs now, So im hoping he sets them straight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Why not just break out the .22 and take care of the pesky little dude's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuchikubo Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Great post and pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoriaRiverMan Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 You can do that........ But just going out at night and shinning a flashlight............... well you will see about 20 - 30 sets of eyes..........lol Also not allowed to fire guns in my section. Mind ya didnt stop the pest control guy from firing his gun towards my house while in a canoe. He was killing a beaver for someone. Moron was shooting towards my house at beaver in water about 3 feet from shore! Top it off i was in yard playing with kids! After a few choice words and threats ............. He was on his way Back to turtles....... I cant believe anything you try will stop the coons from eating them if they want them. Did you know they even wash there food sometimes before eating it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassfighter Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 (edited) Maybe it is a good idea to take the eggs out of there and tranfer it on a box, making sure that there are adequate sand and warm temp. This will ensure that they will survive and you get to see them when they get hatch, it will also pevent the coons from eating them. Even if they were able to hatch on its own in the wild, their chance of the coons eating them is high. Coons can even sniff the eggs in the next few evenings, they have a keen sense of smell. I would do that and then release them into the water , you might be the surrogate parents once they see you first! Edited June 6, 2008 by bassfighter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oxcowboy Posted June 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 Thanks guys, i think im going to build a little cage out of rabbit wire and burry it around the perimeter of the nest. that way my boys will get to see them and help deter the coons and skunks from raiding the nest. i will post an update if and when they hatch. i checked this morning where she was laying them, and you could hardly tell where it was. she did a fine job. jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoriaRiverMan Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 Building such a trap may be there death if you dont watch them very carefully. They head straight for water for a reason Being trapped in a cage wont allow that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oxcowboy Posted June 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 They head straight for water for a reason these are land turtles, they like moisture but are poor swimmers, they basically hold their breath and walk across the bottom of streams to cross. jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoriaRiverMan Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 Oh ya.... Wonder if we have box turtles here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zubris21 Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 He's 180lbs now, So im hoping he sets them straight What kind of dog is that??? Mastiff? Newfie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oxcowboy Posted June 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 found this on a website--- Distribution and Habitat Exclusively North American, box turtles occupy the eastern United States ranging from southern Maine to Florida along the East Coast, and west to Michigan, Illinois, eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Due to their popularity as household pets, box turtles are sometimes found far outside their normal geographic range. if they are in michigan and maine i would guess some could be found in southern ontario as well. jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoriaRiverMan Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 What kind of dog is that??? Mastiff? Newfie? Cane Corso Mastiff....... Large one at that Scary part is he hasnt filled out yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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