turtle rescue and hatching

It never rains it pours. Certainly that described the weather on June 9, the day our turtle adventrue started. As the day progressed it became wetter and wetter but the turtles seemed to like it. One of our neighbours came and photographed the snapping turtle excavation and informed us that there were two map turtles laying eggs in her lane.

A short walk in the rain found the turtles. We watched one finish digging her nest and saw the eggs laid. She had situated her nest dead center in the lane way. Out came another tub and more peat moss. This nest was easily found and 10 elongated white eggs were carefully placed in the tub.

The other nest was just off the road. To protect it from predation we used a metal dog crate and filled with stones. Red flags were tied to the structure by another neighbour to keep cars from hitting it.

Just when we thought we thought we might get out of the rain yet another neighbour directed us to a carcass of recently run over stink pot turtle. This was good and bad. It provided further evidence of a healthy stink pot population in the creek, but however healthy it is it is now one less. There was still one egg with the carcass that now joined the map turtle eggs nestled in peat moss.

Both containers of eggs were taken to our living room placed on a heating pad near the hot water radiator and covered with quilts. Thus ended a long, wet, chilling but exciting day and started our summer adventure as turtle mid-wives.