Reptile & Amphibian Forums

06-15-09 My friend Steve called me up and told me that he was watching a painted turtle lay eggs in his back yard, so after she was done we dug them up, 12 great looking eggs. I will incubate them at 82-84 degrees on Hatchrite medium, they should hatch in about 70 days, we will then raise them up indoors over the winter and in the spring release them back to his pond, very well headstarted.

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Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com

Great find and I just now got your message. I incubated between 82 and 85 F. they took 54 days to hatch. all of them hatched out of 17 eggs. congrats again and good luck!

Sweet thanks for the info, I read somewhere that it took 70 days glad it won't take that long, hope they hatch in more like 55 days the wait is going to seem long enough, they should be cute. I have them at 82-84 which fluctuates from day to night. I just put them in a small tub inside a big tub and then put the big tub on top of one of my snake racks on the extra heat tape that I run across the top, same way I incubate my cornsnake eggs.
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Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com

Ya i read that too, but they didnt take long at all. I was actually surprised when i came home from work and noticed babies out. lol. But sounds like you know what your doing so hope they all hatch for ya.

Nah I really don't know what I am doing, but I know enough to "wing it", lol. Thanks for the info, it really helps to get current real time experienced info from someone like you who has just recently successfully hatched out. I've been hoping my diamondbacks and box turtles would lay eggs this year, but so far nothing, so this will be good practise so if they do next year.
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Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com