A Turtle Is Nesting In My Yard
If you are lucky enough to have a turtle nest in your yard, the best thing you can do is give her space and she will be gone within 24 hours. She will not be back this year.
Call or text us at(603) 417-4944if you have any questions or concerns.
First off, congratulations! Not many people get to witness the nesting behavior of turtles, and it's an amazing site to behold. The single most important thing we can do is NOT disturb her while she's nesting. When turtles are disturbed from nesting, it forces them go find a new location, and this is often a very dangerous feat. There's many factors that came into play when choosing this spot, and now she has to start the process over - traveling far, often across roads, risking herself and her eggs. The best thing to give her space and keep pets clear of the area. It may take a while, but soon she will be on her way, and you may also have just saved her life.
Painted turtle nesting in sand and leaf litter
Eastern painted turtle eggs
Radiograph of a painted turtle who was gravid (with eggs)
Here's a few additional things to keep in mind -
1) Turtles do not receive parental care
Turtles do not receive parental care, so she will not be returning to the nest this year. Hatchlings will typically emerge around August or September. Painted turtles are the one exception, as they often overwinter in the nest and emerge in the spring. After emergence, hatchlings will make their way to the local wetlands. They are born with incredible instincts to guide them towards the wetlands where their mom came from.
2) Eggs are deposited underground
Snapping turtle eggs
Turtles often spend an entire evening digging a nest to lay their eggs. Females dig deep into the ground with their hind legs, deposit eggs, and then meticulously cover the hole back up.
Ideally a nest would be left undisturbed, but the eggs are protected underground, so even if it's in a regularly used location, they should be safe. It is very precarious to transport turtle eggs - shortly after laying the embryo settles at the bottom of the egg with air at the top, and turning the egg can drown them in amniotic fluid. Therefore we only transport eggs when there's absolutely no other option.
3) Nest locations are reused
When possible, turtles often return to the same nesting locations year after year, so it's likely this turtle has used your home for nesting in the past. They are discrete so it's easy to go undetected. The other possibility is her past nesting location become inaccessible, so it is also possible this is a new spot to her, but the closest appropriate spot she could find. They very particular about where they nest, so even if it seems unideal to us, she's taken a lot into account when choosing this spot.
4) Nests are often predated
Most turtle nests get predated. If you find egg shells outside of the nest, this is a sign the eggs have already been predated. Skunks and raccoons are particularly adept at finding nests. Most commonly this is within 72 hours of laying. If you're interested in protecting the eggs, reach out and we can help with tips, but this does take regular monitoring or you could do more harm then good. If you're concerned about the location and really want the eggs moved, know this is a risky process that may result in no eggs being viable. It is best to let nature take it's course. These are just some tips, but please call a wildlife rehabber if you have an uncertainty about a situation. We're here to help!