The painted turtles are starting to leave the marsh to lay their eggs. First, mama digs a hole with her back legs. She lays her eggs and covers them with dirt or gravel. Then, it is back to the marsh.
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This female was on her way to make a nest.
As you can see, she was very curious about what I was doing. |
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A turtle nest that was dug up by an animal (probably a raccoon).
The hole was deep--about 8 inches.
The white pieces were the egg shells. |
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| Closeup of the turtle egg shells. |
It seems like a miracle that we still have any turtles. During a short walk, I found several turtle nests that had been dug up. For omnivores like raccoons and skunks, turtle eggs are a feast. And, they are not hard to find. So, some turtles must hide their eggs better than others. Otherwise, turtles would be as extinct as Dodo birds.
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