Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, yesterday I was out in the turtle pen and digging out the cubbies so I could put some fresh sand and moss down for them. I almost chopped a baby boxie up. I had no idea that the turtles laid the eggs so far down in the earth. I found lots of egg shells that had been either hatched or maybe broken. They were all oldish though. So, I am thinking that the babies either got eaten by the other turtles, or perhaps the cats that come into the yard at night got ahold of them.

Which brings me to a question for you all. Do the babies hide during the day and come out at night to find food? Although this is a tiny little turtle, it does not look like it is just hatched. It doesn't have an egg tooth and the shell is pretty hard already.

Also.....exactly how deep down do the turtles lay the eggs. These shells I found were about a foot down in the cubbies.

Needless to say, this little baby will be over-wintering in the house. I fixed it a little home in a plastic shoe box yesterday afternoon after I found it. I figured it was too small to put in the same container with Little bit......the little turtle I discovered in the pen last spring. Or do you suppose they would be alright together? Little bit is in a large 'under the bed' container. (no.....he's not under the bed.....he is outside on the patio presently but will come in for the winter.)

Ok.....will go for now. You all have a good day today. Take care! ..........9boxies

My experience/observation has led me to think that box turtles aren't active at night (unless it's a female nesting). Even the babies I headstart are inactive at night.

As for dept of nests: my Easterns usually dig about 3 inches deep, with the eggs only about 2 inches below the soil surface.

I thought, I have read that sometimes the babies, if they hatch late in the summer or fall will just dig down and prepare to brumate for the winter, and not even surface untill spring, perhaps this is why you found that babie so deep?

Could be! ....9boxies

Well, then perhaps since the eggs were laid in the cubby, maybe the turtle digs deeper to protect them from the other turtles? I mean......other turtles go into the cubbies too, so maybe that is a means to keep them from getting broken by the others. Who knows!

Anyway.....thank you for the information. I am being very careful whenever I go out in the pen since I don't know where the other babies are if they are there that is. I really think the grackels got them though if there were any others there since the cats only come into the yard after dark. Or.....didn't someone say that the adult turtles will eat the babies? Or am I mistaken. Well, thank-you for the replies. .... 9boxies

Not very likely that a turtle would 'dig deeper': they do all the digging with hind legs, which extend only so far, and, due to the temperature requirements for incubation, a significantly deeper nest would likely result in no hatchlings at all.

I think that its more likely that you partially uncovered a nest, and the egg shells rolled down into the hole you'd created, leaving the impression that the actual nest had been deeper.

Well, could be, though all the empty egg shells were all in a clump at the same spot deep down and were firm to the soil. Anyway........I am through prepping the cubbies. Thank-you for the reply though. I truly did not know the turtles laid the eggs so close to the surface. Have a good day! .......9boxies

I have heard anectodal stories of Desert box turtles, Terrapene ornata luteola, laying eggs within mammal/tortoise burrows in their natural range. It seems to make sense, considering the harshness of their native climate. The inner walls of burrows may be the only microhabitat suitable for egg incubation.

Like Steph, I've only ever seen my box turtles laying shallow nests in the semi-shade...even my Deserts.

What type of turtles do you have?