Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina; photo by Iain Stenhouse)
Keep your eyes out - turtles are on the move!
Female Snapping Turtles move over land, sometimes great distances through forest and uneven terrain, in a valiant effort to reproduce.
She will dig a shallow nest with her powerful hind legs in a site with well-drained soil that gets plenty of sun - often at the same nest site that she has used for many years. She lays anywhere from 11- 83 eggs (usually 20 - 30) and then covers them with sand and vegetation. Nests are commonly predated by skunks, raccoons, crows, or foxes.
If she's chosen her site wisely, and disguised her nest well, the eggs will safely incubate in the warm sand for the next 80-90 days. Hatchlings may emerge in the fall, but if conditions are too cold they will overwinter and emerge in the spring.
The next time you see a snapper trying to cross a road, think about this: these incredibly tough and long-lived turtles have been here for about 90 million years! After you've made mental note of this mind-blowing fact, kindly pull over and help the turtle cross the road (by following these important tips from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service).
Did you know? Snapping Turtles are one of eight turtle species we have here in Maine.
These tips apply to all.
I hope you enjoyed this Phenology Note!
Join me in witnessing the seasons of our wild world.
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-
Deborah
Perkins
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