Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Last year my 3 toed box turtle laid 3 eggs one was infertile one hatched premature and one hatched on her back. what happened? Do they usually hatch on their back?

they do not usually hatch upside down, but it is possible. If the egg is rotated after the first few hours to day, the embryo may already be attached at the top of the egg and then be moved to the bottom. Sometimes this can kill the embryo.

Is this the reason that the hatchling may have died? Could She have gotten water in her lungs. I Mean they never got turned over, but may have been slightly tilted the wrong way when I put them in the plastic container. The female also laid them in a 50 gal rubbermaid container. I put her in the same Container last night and then, tonight I watched her dig about an inch down with her front feet and then walk right over the hole and put her back feet in it and dig down about 2 in. more with her back feet. Then she looked at me and walked away from the hole. This was all around 7:00 pm. Do they usually start off digging with their front feet?

Some will test an area with their front feet before settling in with their back. Most turtles will abandon a nest if they percieve a threat while early in the nesting process. Seeing you would likely cause that response. When I see mine nesting I sneak up so carefully (and I leave an outside light on so as not to scare them with a flashlight if I can avoid it) and I won't allow them to see me until they are laying eggs. I only do spot checks until then. At that point they have never abandoned a nest, even though I have tried wedging cameras down behind them for shots (haven't gotten a good one yet) and shined flashlights on them.

Hatchlings appear to die for any number of reasons. I have often had partially or wholely formed fetuses that just stopped developing, even given the benefit of the doubt and waiting for an extra few weeks (or until they begin to decay and smell). Then I open them and see what's going on in there. I have not noticed that upside down ones seem more disposed to this or not in the eggs I've cracked open to see when they stopped developing. It "could" be a reason, though, I just don't have enough information to be sure.