Early Birth About This Page:

[Huntermom]

With the mild winter, the snapping turtles in our brook are laying their eggs early this year. Usually it doesn't happen until June, but this morning I saw the first big girl (she was about 15" long) patiently laying eggs on the side of the road. Last year we had about 6 come to the top the hill and lay eggs on the side of the road. I never see smaller ones up there so I assume only the older ones get to go to the top, where the ground is sandier.

[Luvsun]

Wow, that is early!!! When we lived in Indiana, we lived close to a creek and two ponds and we had turtles in our large yard often. The last summer we were there, we had a mama turtle lay eggs in the grass close to our driveway.

[Starbright]

That is sooo coool. I have never seen anything like that before. It must be interssting. When will they hatch???The only thing we have is small toads here, and I think they are pretty special. I just hope your turtles aren't laying their eggs early because of an early winter-brrr, I can't imagine that with some parts of Canada still getting snow off and on lately.

[jimmymac]

Cool. We don't have many snapping turtles here in NYC

[Huntermom]

Like most things in nature, most don't survive to hatch. We have lots of raccoons and other critters (including big snakes). I want to say they hatch in a little over a month but we see very few of the babies. I walk my dogs early in the morning and that's when the eggs are being laid. It takes some time but I don't think she'll be there this evening.

I also try not to approach too closely-they actually get up very close to the road. They dig a bit around the nest so you can see where they are from a distance. Last year we had two laying eggs side by side and another a few feet away,

[Huntermom]

Jim, I'll bet you actually may have some snappers in Central Park. They are quite hardy creatures.

[unewillow]

I wonder if they're like other reptiles where temperature determines gender. Maybe they're laying earlier to get more males?

[Cam22]

How !

[chezp]

How cool to see that.

[Carousel96]

Makes you wonder... will they be hatching before the food sources are ready, or will those that make it have a longer season to grow and get strong before winter comes again.

[apqsmom]

seems like a lot of things are happening early this year. Interesting.

[Huntermom]

Usually, we will have a half dozen or so large snappers lay, one or two each day for a few days in a row. This year, there was the one the other day but there haven't been any since. It looks like something dug up the nest, although that hasn't stopped the turtles from laying eggs in the same are in the past. they lay right on the side of the road, I think because there is sand on the edge of the blacktop for a couple of feet. Most people here have at least two acres, so it's not for a lack of other options.

this year we also have tons of pileated woodpeckers. Usually seeing one is pretty special. this year I see at least two a day, often 3 or 4.

[debrabrown]

Cool! Post pics if you can

[Huntermom]

I'll have to see if my DD can share her pics from last year with me. I usually see them when I walking the dogs so can't manage to take pics of my own. She also took some of the snakes.