Does this look like a turtle egg?

I was digging in a new perennial bed yesterday near our small lake, heard a crunch, and this was in the trowel. I didn't dig any further because I don't want to disturb the remainder of the nest. The egg is about 2.5-3" long. Nothing was developed inside, so I assume it was laid recently. I immediately thought 'turtle', but DH mentioned 'snake'. I looked up what turtles and snakes live in this area. Many of the snakes are live bearers, and some of the eggs are round.

I'm still thinking turtle.

Hi there.
Our turtle eggs here are more round and rubbery in apearence. They vary in size but are rather soft, not hard like chicken eggs. (These being from painted turtles or snappers.) Not sure what you have there, could be a different type of turtle, or lizzard???? I don't know anything about them.

thanks for responding, chick. here's a pic I found of a box turtle hatching, but I couldn't find anything that said what size the eggs are.

That does look like yours. I don't have any pictures of the eggs. I do have pictures of they laying (planting I call it) and hatching (coming out of the hole in the ground). All I would have to do is dig around a bit, and I would find some. We have had turtles out there every day for a week, digging all over the place.

I have never seen a turtle here. and I never saw signs of digging. but today DH saw the neighbors across the lake carry a big turtle back to the lake with shovel and putting it back in the water. it IS mating season :0)

Looks like a turtle egg to me. An Eastern King Snake found a nest at my pond.

Thanks. I've never seen a snake out here either. It's a very new development. There are fish in the lake...some pretty big ones. Don't see many frogs or toads either. I get a few little ones in my pool filter.

I put a marker on the nest so I won't break any more of them. I just hope I'm around when they hatch :)

Gram, if there's a lake within a new development, it will attract more and more aquatic life and develop it's own wonderful eco-system with lots of frogs, lizards, snakes, turtles and dragon flies. Listen at night for the sounds of nature near a lake. Such a peaceful and relaxing sound to me.

Yes peacefull...geese honking and fighting, blue heron shreaking, ducks quacking, owls hooting, swans whapping thier wings on the water fighting for territory, frogs, bugs... if you shut all the doors and windows, it is a lulling din.

"crunch" doesn't sound like a sound that a leathery turtle egg would make... I've been looking, but I can't find the thread where somebody thought they had saved a whole nest of eggs (maybe turtles, maybe iguanas, etc) that I believe turned out to be a stage in the life cycle of the stinkhorn, a remarkably foul-smelling fungus.

I found a pale "egg" recently buried in the mulch pile that looked exactly like a grade A large chicken egg, with a shell that felt and sounded hard when I tapped it... honestly, I thought one of my neighbors was messing with me! I candled it and didn't see anything inside, but I didn't open it, I just put it back where I'd found it. I wonder if it was a stinkhorn fruiting body!?

Wow never heard of that kind of fungus, Critter.

interesting, to say the least LOL. this was definitely an egg...it broke and had a yolk

I'm remembering something about one of the stinkhorn "eggs" breaking open while this DGer was trying to deal with them, and it seems to me she mentioned a yolk-looking inside also...

Hey! I googled some more and found the DG thread! Whether or not this is what you found, this thread is definitely worth a read... http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/693951/

Well, I Be! Who would'da thunk it! Critter, I speed read every post just now, inbetween laughing my head off at Ginger, Knolan and Equi. Seems they are three funny DGer's when they get together on one thread. When Knolan said it stunk when it broke open....

Well, gosh and golly! If it fooled Knolan that up close and personal...maybe you're right, critter. I won't hold my breath for turtles to come crawling out of my garden LOL. there was no smell from the one I broke, but maybe they don't stink when they're new? guess only time will tell...I'm not going to be digging around in case it is turtle eggs. I'll post here if anything turns up.