Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This being my third year of experience with box turtles, this will be my first year of having babies. My three toed has laid two nest for me, one with 2, possibly three eggs, and exactly three weeks later, another 2 eggs. I was just wondering how dry I should let the ground above the nests get before thinking about watering during dry spells. So far I haven't let it get too dry, and I've watered over the nests a couple of times, but not too much water. Can anybody help me out? Thanks a bucnh.

My vote...don't bother watering the nest. Turtle nests are miracles of climate control, both thermostatically and rheostatically. If the enclosure is of adequate size, your turtle spent much more time surveying the spot than you may think. In my experience, too much water can be more harmful than too little. If one does choose to allow outdoor incubation, after protecting the nest from predators (including other turtles), the best bet is to forget the nest is there. Continue to water your pen if you have been doing that, but don't make any extra effort to soak the nest spot. I hope it all works out. There's no greater suprise in herp keeping than finding a dear, healthy little baby. Good luck!

"In my experience, too much water can be more harmful than too little. "

couldn't agree more, reptile eggs are known for growing mold and rotting because of too much moisture.
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My Site
1.2.1 Terrapene Carolina Triunguis
0.1 Nymphicus hollandicus
1.1 Melopsittacus undulatus
1.0 American Cocker Spaniels
1.0 American Short Hair? Cat
1.1 Rouen Ducks

Also, if the water content in the egg is too high in the latter stages of development, the embryo can drown!

Thanks everyone. I'm hoping to see some babies come up in the next couple weeks. I'm usually a patient person, but waiting on them is hard.