turtle porn

[golferboy426]

I've posted before about the snapping turtle laying eggs in my yard last year and how I incubated 30 or so. Well this year I should be seeing some more. The pics are about 2 equal groups taken about a half hour apart. It might be 2 different pairs as there was nothing going on after the first pair split. I've never actually witnessed the deed before

http://s263.photobucket.com/user/golferboy426/library/Turtle%20Porn?sort=3&page=1

You probably have to copy and paste the link in.

Evidently just clicking the link works, Then click a pic to get a full size then hit the arrows

 

[Stoots]

Very cool!

I love turtles and have rescued more than a few Eastern Boxes from the roads around here over the years. Here are a few:







And my favorite one:

 

[WendyZXZ]

Looks good! The folks I have never understood are those that swerve to run over a turtle crossing roads...

 

[Capn27]

Mrs. Cap'n would raise them for food. Never could understand eatin' the little guys, but she loves them.

 

[JFB]

search is not working for me...I could not find past post.

my yard is also a burial ground for turtles. i normally find dug holes with broken shells. I never seen what is ravinging them.

for the few times I have seen the turtles laying. I can not come up with a good way to remove the eggs and move some where safe. Last year I was able to get about 5 and let them hatch in concrete planters on the porch.

how do you dig up the eggs?

 

[mike7mm08]

Instead of diggin the eggs just help mother nature out. Try fencing in the nest area. Coons are your most likely egg thief.

 

[Daveboone]

I frequently stop to help them across a busy road. Big snappers around here, usually. They take a careful hand!
I have read several times that if relocating, you absolutely must mark each shell as to what side is up, and replace them the same. They will not develop otherwise. No box turtles around here. I was amazed the first evening I hunted in Georgia twenty years ago, to find a fair sized one ambling across my path. I was happily late for stand time while I played with the critter.

 

[Cooperhawk]

Instead of diggin the eggs just help mother nature out. Try fencing in the nest area. Coons are your most likely egg thief.

Yep, Racoons love those tasty eggs. I see them hanging around all through the turtle nesting season. They get them the first night they're in the ground.

 

[golferboy426]

Instead of diggin the eggs just help mother nature out. Try fencing in the nest area. Coons are your most likely egg thief.

Yep, Racoons love those tasty eggs. I see them hanging around all through the turtle nesting season. They get them the first night they're in the ground.

I lost most of 2 nests to moles or voles, I had some water turtles and snappers . This year I'm gonna dig any I find

 

[golferboy426]

search is not working for me...I could not find past post.

my yard is also a burial ground for turtles. i normally find dug holes with broken shells. I never seen what is ravinging them.

for the few times I have seen the turtles laying. I can not come up with a good way to remove the eggs and move some where safe. Last year I was able to get about 5 and let them hatch in concrete planters on the porch.

how do you dig up the eggs?

I saw her lay them and used a pitchfork to loose the soil then gently uncovered each egg As stated in a post below there is a top and the top must remain on top if you discover eggs that have been there a day or so. I did not lose even one egg I just put them in a rubbermaid container covered with about an inch of soil and kept the soil moist. The eggs need water

Here is a pic of the results

 

[Dan in MI]

That is so cool.

When I was kid we'd take turtle eggs and try to raise them. We learned by accident about not turning the eggs at all. We succesfully raised snappers, softshells and painters.

I am always helping turtles cross the road so they don't get hit.

 

[tookalisten]

I was driving thru one of our local suburbs and came down a little bottom and a young lady was out of her SUV with her kids and they were about to grab a turtle to help him across the road.

I was surprised to see it was a rather large snapper. I stopped, rolled down my window and told her - that "turtle" will snap your kid's finger off; better be careful. I helped her "shoo" him along and then put a stick in front of him to show them how quick they are.

She was glad I stopped. My Grandad used to say "a snapper won't let you go until it thunders".

 

[golferboy426]

I helped her "shoo" him along .

Chances are it was a her not a him. Males rarely found on roads. It's the females looking to lay eggs. That's one reason in the decline of turtles in populated areas with car traffic. Females get killed on the roads.

 

[jeffnles1]

Wow, I seriously thought I was the only person who stopped and helped turtles and tortoises across roads. Glad to know I'm not the only one.

Jeff

 

[Lee Martin]

Both of my box turtles came out of their 5-month hibernation last week.

Lucky and his pen:







Flash and his pen:

 

[WendyZXZ]

That is a nice pen...Lucky does look to be lucky!

 

[golferboy426]

That is a nice pen...Lucky does look to be lucky!

I don't know, I side with freedom.

Bet Lucky never gets lucky

 

[WendyZXZ]

That is a nice pen...Lucky does look to be lucky!

I don't know, I side with freedom.

Bet Lucky never gets lucky

But just think of the care taken to set up for Lucky! Your cute little rubbermaid ones will be growing up soon.

 

[golferboy426]

I only did what is called "headstart" them They were all released back into the pond in October. I figured I gave them a far better chance than nature . I do wonder how many will survive as I suspect mommy & daddy snack on more than a few.

 

[Lee Martin]

That is a nice pen...Lucky does look to be lucky!

I don't know, I side with freedom.

Flash and Lucky were rescued from a section of Northern VA being bulldozed for new homes. When I found them they were in the middle of the road dodging cars. Ya, I could've taken them to another area but anyone that knows box turtles knows they have an excellent sense of direction....and that they'll try to return to their home no matter how far. Unfortunately, their home has been replaced by urban sprawl.

Lucky has been we us for 7 years, Flash for 2. They seem happy and spend a lot of time outside of their pens.

 

[golferboy426]

you are obviously a caring steward of these turtles

 

[gatling]

Very nice. You are doing a good thing.

 

[mykeal]

This is a Blanding's Turtle; they're on the endangered list but fairly common in this area:


And a momma snapper doing her thing: