Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all. We recently built a home on five acres that has a stream bordering the property. The first spring after we built, before we had sown grass, we had a common snapping turtle come up out of the woods and dig a small hole. I assumed that she was laying eggs, but I never bothered the area.

This morning, I saw the turtle making her way up through the yard towards the same spot. Well, since the last visit, we have sown grass and have a nice thick yard. I was worried that she would not have a place to dig, so I went out with a shovel and removed the sod in an area approx. 24in around. As soon as I walked off, she climbed right into the depression. We watched her with her head sticking up out of the depression for about 30min before I left to drop the kids off to school and then I stopped by work. About 2hours later, I came back by home to gather the eggs to put in a container to incubate. To my surprise, there were no eggs to be found.

Was she just scoping out a place to come back and lay the eggs later? or what happened? There were no signs of any shells or any mucous or anything. and the turtle was no where in sight.

Any advice would be appreciated. I dont want to put the sod back until I am sure what is happening.

Travis

A lot of turtles will dig 2 or 3 nests before they feel secure enough to lay their eggs. This may have been what she was doing.

That makes sense. I guess she has probably already moved on and laid the eggs then, so I will put my sod back in place.

Thanks,
Travis

She may have also decided that the site was now unsuitable for a nest. Female snappers can detect changes in the soil, which can occur after alterations such as you describe.

Also, she was a good 300 yards from the creek. Will they come that far from the water to lay eggs?

a female snapper will nest up to a mile from the water she lives in, and her first choice for a nest will be at or near the place from which she hatched. if you recently sodded the yard, she prolly went to that place as her first choice, then decided it was not secure, as the terrain had changed. if that is the case, she will not return to it to nest, but she likely nested an equal distance from the water body in a different direction.