what do I do??? I found 6 small turtle eggs in my yard ????

Just found this, what fun. We have to be careful around here in the spring. We have many turtles laying their eggs. It is interesting to watch. Sometimes they dig several holes to fake out preditors. I have seen the eggs pop out and the back legs of the mama kick them into the hole. We have a big sandy spot by our driveway and have to be carefull and drive around the mamas. Here they lay eggs around Memorial day and they hatch around Labor day. The babies are very soft, but can dig up through the hardest ground and somehow know how to get to the water. Amazing.
What I find strange is how the turtle can lay so many eggs when she has a hard shell. I wonder where she fits all the eggs???? It usually takes a turtle about an hour or so to lay 10-15 eggs. We have snappers, blandings, box, eastern and painted turtles here. DH last spring filled in a hole by the water, added nice black dirt and some grass seed. The grass started to grow and the next day we look and a large turtle had used the soft dirt for her nursery. It looked like someone had taken a shovel to the spot and turned the soil. What a mess. It was one of the big snappers.
I will add a picture of a medium sized snapper messing up my backyard laying her eggs.

Here is the results a few months later. We counted 15, but there may have been more as they were all over the yard as well as still coming out of the hole.

that is just so cool...

Wow... they are so cute... I am not going close to the area that I found them... I am afraid I will want to take care of them!!!!

here are some new pictures...

my favorite pose... they stay like that for a long time!

this week's pict! a Red Sox fan turtle

cute face

one more

ok, look at this cutie!

Cpartschick, that is a cool picture, and quite a variety of turtles too! I'd never get bored with all of them around.

Kassia, that pose is so funny! The girls are looking good!

The only bad thing about the snappers is the smell. I picked up one once that was in the woods. It took a minute to smell it. Afterwards I washed my hands good. Next day I was horrible sick. I never touch them without gloves now. I have posted about the snappers in other threads. We have some here that measure about 2'
x 4' (shell only) They are monsters. They mate and eat by our house in the spring. What a show. They lumber around the marsh with seaweed stringing from their heads and mud on their backs. They also can be incredibly fast. Their heads look like stumps and stay in one place so long that you can be fooled if you don't know. Then the stump blinks. I have a picture of one DH pulled up into a canoe. He is a very strong man, but this 30 lber was about all he could handle. I will try to find the picture. We would never try to go near the big ones. I still am trying to get a shot of them standing and fighting. That is my goal for this spring. There is just nothing to reference size. Yup, here is the picture of a smaller one. Those little cute turtles turn into this after many, many, years. Oh, by the way, the turtle was released after only 5 minutes of being in the canoe and was unhurt. He did hisss and snap alot though.

They are impressive. My neighbor traps them and keeps them in a horse tank for about a month, changing the water till it's clean. I feel so sorry for them. I think turtles should be able to live out their life. I've eaten turtle a few times, but I won't buy it.

Hi... well I was so afraid of then in the begining... and all guilty about keeping then... now I am in love with them... but I am not sure what is going to be... the person from the Ma Wildlife told me that if I release them it should be end of june... so I am still thinking...

I clean the water almost every day... they are in my bedroom and I will not sleep with smelly creatures.... well just Lilly... she is good to cuddle with because she is a spoiled good smelling shitzu... yeah I am bad... I don't put any perfum on the turtles.... and Lilly get a bath with castille soap - the best and most natural thing I have ever found... she is very allergic but if I use castille soap she is fine, her hair is gorgeous and healty.. well, to be honest that's all I use too... to shower, to shampoo and wash everything that needs soap... even to kill aphids.... it's a great product....

the turtles seem happy... I let them walk in the carpet and I play with them... I have a nice place for them... and thank God I sold my condo so I will have money to do a small pond for them outside .... I have big dreams... I found a site called turtletails.com and it's so amazing what Tom did for his turtles... I have learned a lot from him...

they are such nice creatures... I think we are bonded because I come close every night and they run to me... I touch them and they come and put their little paws in my finger... some times we shake hands and they don't run away... so i think we are buddies!!!!

but I aggree with you billy... they should be free... and live a long life... I hope I don't damage them and they become sissies....

the older I get the less I want to eat meat... I have never eaten any meat but pork, beef or chicken... and latelly I just don't eat it every day anymore... I have learned to like veggies but I crave meat sometimes...

If I were a turtle, I'd want you to be my mom!

I don't eat a lot of meat either, but just because we eat enough vegetables to fill us up. We go back to it when we think we feel tired.

I think you've done all right by the turtles. They have a far easier life right now and they are happy and healthy. I still like the pond idea. They will most likely ''disappear'' into the depths.

Dyson, you have the most beautiful quotes. I really like this one, especially since DD lives in a ''wild'' area with natural springs and untouched land that's been in her DH's family. I feel that way when I'm out there listening to a hawk scream in the silence.

oh, I love nature... all living things... it's so interesting how you can learn from them.... I was thinking the other day about weeds... if I can be that persistent and don't give up...
but I have to confess that I don't like Japanese beattles... in fact I kill them.... lol......

the turtles are an inspiration to me... I feel so very privileged to care for them... I look and they are so innocent and so small... I look in my own heart and keep thinking of how they trust me and come close... I am such a giant in comparisson to them... and how can someone be mean and cruel to them... so I feel like God entrusted them to me to teach me something... it has been a very special and spiritual journey!!! really cool!

I think the snappers are the only stinky turtles. The other turtles I encounter seem ok. They seem clean. That is why snappers need to go into a tank for a while to clean them before you can eat them. I have eatten turtle, but not any more!!!! Your turtles should be alright, I think turtles are one of the few animals that live in a very small area in the wild. They are pretty cool to watch. I am a person that feels sorry for fish in a tank, what a boring life they must lead. I think your turtles have plenty of stimulus. Also they are not the type of animal that will be a danger by getting used to humans as raccoon, or other wild animals. Those animals get used to human contact, can be dangerous for them later in the wild, and sometimes dangerous to humans as well. i heard that turtles and frogs are on the downslide, but not here. We have a lot of them, and they are great to have around. I don't mind sharing my yard with them!

As a kid, turtles, tadpoles, toads and frogs were always interesting no matter if I was around them every day. I didn't like crickets or grasshoppers, but am always interested in nature. I like snakes, but never to pick one up. I observe!

Cpartschick, I have seen snappers only in pictures, movies and far away.... lol...
I never ate turtle and would never eat it...I think of their eyes and it just does something to me...
A few years ago I went to the BIG E in Springfield MA ( a agriculture fair) and I had a chance to pet the cows and see cute bunnies... it was so good to do that again... when I lived in Brazil my city was a totally agriculture and cattle so we went to the state fair for 2 weeks every july... plus we had friends that had small farms and orchads so we grew up in a big city with a country kind of feel.... eating tons of natural things and having fresh meat... and fresh meat is very different ... but I could not eat pork for years because one pig we were playing with was killed a month later and of course some of the meat ended up in my house! it was not until I was here in the US that I ate pork again...

but now I what I really want is to live in harmony with nature... the idea of doing a pond for the turtles is to enclose it so they are safe and can also be outside... everyone that comes to my house have a good time seeing Cadberry, Lindt, Nestle, Cocoa & Hershey... they are really funny... they know my voice and last night everyone got cleaned up... new water, new bubble maker and I gave them a shower ... I almost got a conditioner for their shell... any excuse I get to touch them I do it.... too bad we can't sleep in the same bed... if I could train them to poop on command I would!!!!

Too funny. I like the pond idea. Sounds like it would be good. I have a very small pond and I get some frogs in it, if I put in pond plants. I love to walk out there and see all the hopping around. They poke their heads up a little and blend in. Sometimes I get a turtle, and he will go under the waterfall and take a shower. I love it. I agree, great to watch.

Ok, some more turtle pictures:

Hershey

Sooooooo cute. Here is a frog to put in your pond for company for the kids.

Here is another one

Oh, I really do want a pond. I only see frogs when they get caught in my pool and wind up in the skimmer. if I get to them in time I release them. I have a spot all picked out. Now it's just a matter of $$$. Kassia, if only I had a condo to sell LOL We live on a lake so there must be turtles around. Haven't seen any though.

I live on a small lake. (river dammed up) We are at the end where there is alot of marsh and cattails and see lots of action. Nice area for geese, frogs, turtles. In the spring the peepers get so loud, that and the geese, you cannot sleep with the window open. Once we went down in the woods to our camper to sleep, when it got too much. The peepers and geese were just a quiet lull. We curled up into bed and shut our eyes. All of a sudden 3 owls swooped in and started to howl at each other. Talk about sorround sound. We started to laugh so loud we scared them away. Nature is NOT quiet!
One frog sounds like the preditor, one sounds like a duck quacking, one the normal ribit, one like a banjo with a loose string. It is fun. At least the turtles are quiet!!!!

oh they are cute frogs.... we had a fat one on the veggie garden last year... Alec (5 year old nephew) loved him... so we always come out at night to say good night to Mr Frog!!!! so cute!!!

Gram, I am trying to see if is worth doing it... so much to do this year but I hope is a safe thing to have for the turtles... right ninw they are all looking at me... it's so funny.... they are basking while is snowing outside... oh spoiled creatures.... lol...

cpart I agree, nature is not quiet... here the birds wake me up every morning in spring... my back yard is a section of a dam and we see dear and squirels but I have not seen turtles there... well I didn't go close to the water because last time I went I got a tick... so no woods adventures for me....

Our pond is really little. A friend from work was upgrading and gave it to me. It is like a bathtub with different levels. The deepest is about 4 ft. I dug a hole, set it in and put some rocks around it. At the end I put some flat rocks and an old pitcher pump and then got a cheap pump and hooked the tube in the pump to sprinkle back in the pond. Then I planted some vine and flowers around it, but there are ferns and stuff in the back so it looks ok. Not really exciting, but when it has pond plants in it, it doesn't look too bad. The frogs really like it. I think because the Blue heron don't wander to that side of the house.
We are on the opposite end of the lake than the dam. This is maybe why we have all the turtles. It is much more shallow and there is lots of silt, vegetation, stumps and logs for them to sun themselves on. Snappers do not seem to sun themselves, but we see plenty of them wandering around as I said.
Ponds can be really expensive, or they can be as simple and cheep as a buried child's wading pool and a lot of clever placement , plants and rock.

I have been looking for one... I have seen black ones at home depot, and one of my co-workers has one and I am going to ask her husband if he can help me figure out how to do it... I want a small one that I can put a fence around and make an area for plants and so we can go around and play with the turtles... at the same time be a protected place so cayotes and other predators don't endanger my babies....

I saw a pool used once and I don't know how they made it black. It wasn't a liner because that was too expensive. Maybe just the black weed out liner. After all it doesn't have to be waterproof, the pool does that.
I do not have any problem with the coyote and that getting near the pool. We also have a lot of raccoons and because there are no fish in the pond that is not a problem either. Deer sometimes come ck it out, but that is about all.

oh, may be it was a liner that I saw,... I have no experience with pools!!! or ponds!!!!!

My little one is black. I don't think it was origonally very expensive. I dropped a rock in it after one year and it knocked a hole in the bottom. It drained and I used fiberglass to repair the spot. I guess it worked 'cuz it has held up for 3 more years. You need to look around on the net. There is lots of pond stuff out there.

I just found one at home depot for 89.00 and it's 60 gallons... I think is enough for them... and I can actually do a lillte fenced garden... I really like it.... but I will look around the net....

ok... out to clean snow/ice!!!!

Wow, you guys, the small ponds sound so neat! Kassia, an enclosed little one would be perfect!! You would never lose them and they would get the outdoors they need!

Cpartschick, I love the recirculating pitcher pump!

This message was edited Feb 14, 2007 6:41 PM

see, all I do is to think about the garden and the turtles... next will be a treehouse for my 2 nephews... Alec is so good to me .... we spent the day playing, cleaning snow/ice, camping in front of the fire place and playing with Lilly (he told me he speaks "dog language" so cute and we talked about a tree house so we can play outside together....

we played with the turtles too... Lindt got tons of attention... for the first time he had the courage to touch her... she was dry so we played and laughed a lot... after we washed our hands and purel....

this is the newest pic... legs up!!!!

I love tree houses too!

Cute!

My dad built me a tree house on a tree he had to take down. He left the stump, quite high and built this little house with a porch. The porch had a trap door, so you came up the ladder into the middle of the porch. Inside was small and only 4' tall so he made a little lookout tower that you coud stand up and look out. It looked like a little cottage. I was so proud.
After moving here I thought a little cabin way back in the woods would be fun. DH didn't like the idea, bah, so I thought, we could hunt out of it too. That helped, the idea was talked about for a while until I saw the Amish built sheds. I liked it, he said, there was no way to get it out there, I said, they build on site, he said you can't get lumber out there. Well, we did. After many hours of hauling lumber, the furniture was a snap! Here is my little cabin in the woods. Guess I never grew up!
It is 16' long with a 4' deck and is tall enough to have a little loft, just big enough to sleep in if one would want to, but it has a nice old vintage 60's couch, easy chair, secretary desk, table and chairs and a bookcase, that all fit without looking too cluttered. Oil lamps and candles provide light, and I have a indoor safe propane heater for winter. I paneled the inside using a battery powered circluar saw and used rough board for around the inside of the windows. It is insulated and has a shingled roof. The only problems I have had so far is the porcupines started to chew on it. Not too bad though. It is on a high ridge over looking the river. A really nice midwalk stop, or place for picnic.

chick, I love your cabin! In fact, I'd like to put up a big garden shed and that's what I'd really like. one with a porch. we could use half for a dressing room for the pool.

my brother and I had a treehouse when we were kids. we stayed summers at my grandparents. they had some old apple & cherry trees out behind their house. we found some old wooden garage doors and made multilevel, platforms in one of the apple trees. no walls or roof. we had a rope & pulley with a basket so we could haul books & lunch up in the tree and some days we'd spend the whole afternoon reading up in the tree where no one could see us.

Gee, in an apple tree, lunch is already there! I am sure the cabin is some afteraffect of childhood. It was really reasonable. Less than if we built it ourselves. I looked at kits and they were 5 times more than what we paid to have it built.
We were lucky to have this Amish family that are so skilled at what they do.
I think if you are going to build a shed, it may as well be cute!!!!