Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was fishing at a local river and while i was looking for worms, I grabbed a clump of grass and pulled it up. To my surprise 9 small, white hard shelled eggs came tumbling out.

I gently picked them up and tried my best to make sure they were right side up, but I cant be sure. During the process, one of the eggs broke and pure yellow yolk spilled out, no embryo at all had formed yet so I think the eggs should be OK if they moved. They eggs are starting to chalk over in the middle, kind of a white stripe that I hear is quite common.

Is it laying season for turtles? Seems a bit early. It could be snake eggs but from my days of breeding tri color kings, all my snake eggs were soft and leathery.

it may be just a tad early, but then again turtles dont know how to read the books like we do. so you could possibly have some painted turtle eggs. Congrats either way on your find!

Why do you say early, mine were laid June 15? could be paints could be lots of different turtles depending where you live, soft shells, snappers?
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Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com

I guess it depends on geographical location too. Here in Kansas I usually dont start seeing turtles move for nesting sites for a few more weeks. Not that it doesnt mean they arent laying. Im no turtle expect by far.

so was that clutch that you hatched from last year, not this spring? I guess that would make more sense, but I thought that I read somewhere that they usually lay in June and July, to hatch in the fall, but sometimes, probably usually in the North the stay underground in the nest after they hatch untill spring thaw.
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Jeff Benfer
gartersnakemorph.com

ya that clutch was hatched last year.

Looks like they are good eggs!!!

I was wondering about the development of the turtles eggs I found, one of them developed a small crack in the shell and was leaking, so I thought it was dead. I carefully broke open and peeled back the shell and there was a perfectly formed eastern mud turtle, still alive in the embryonic sack. From the looks of it and how much egg sac is left on it Id say they should hatch in < 2 weeks.

I tried to reassemble the shell as best I could, put it on a wet paper towel and wrapped it loosely in plastic wrap. This one should survive if I can keep it from drying out, it is completely formed and fully pigmented.