Question about red eared slider eggs

Moozillion

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First the story-

my daughter called me today as she was leaving to go to work to let me know that there was a turtle laying eggs in the gravel road leaving our pasture.. she was warning me to be cautious not to run it over as I came in… so as I came in this evening, I looked for it and sure enough it was there. I stopped the truck well before coming upon it and my son and I got out of the truck to take a closer look. Unfortunately, as we walked up we saw that the turtle which was a red eared slider had already been run over. Her butt was down in a shallow area that she’d already begun to dig. Her plastron was split almost down the middle and on the side. It was pretty nasty. I picked her up to see if I needed to cover eggs and could tell that she had not dug enough to lay. As I was holding her up, my son informed me that he saw eggs.. IN HER! At a closer look, she did indeed have a “string” of eggs among other organs falling out of the broken area of her shell.. not knowing what else to do, I cautiously removed the eggs and brought them up to my house where I dug a hole and buried them. I placed a nest guard around the area and covered with some screen to protect from predators..

the question - is it possible that these eggs will hatch? I read that they are fertilized while laying and then I read somewhere else that they are fertilized during mating.. does anyone know what I should expect?
You are SO WONDERFUL to try and save those babies!!!❤️ I sure hope it works out!!!?
 

EllieMay

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You are SO WONDERFUL to try and save those babies!!!❤️ I sure hope it works out!!!?
Awww.. thanks Bea. I guess I don’t think like that.. its just a bone deep reaction for me and has been since I was a very little girl. My family has always called me Ellie May because of it.. I see it as Gods gift to me. Nature is where I find peace, beauty, miracles.. you name it! In today’s world, you have to respect the simple things I guess.
Can’t wait to see your tank upgrade BTW ?
 

wellington

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Awww.. thanks Bea. I guess I don’t think like that.. its just a bone deep reaction for me and has been since I was a very little girl. My family has always called me Ellie May because of it.. I see it as Gods gift to me. Nature is where I find peace, beauty, miracles.. you name it! In today’s world, you have to respect the simple things I guess.
Can’t wait to see your tank upgrade BTW ?
I always wanted to be Ellie Mae lol. Used to dress like her with the rope belt and all. I too will help any animal. About the first words to my hub when dating, was i will help and have any animal i want and don't make me choose, cuz he would lose lol. Love any animal except the human kind. Not as big on humans as I am animals. All my jobs had to do with animals of every kind, land, water except 3 of them.
I think that's a common case with a lot of people with multiple animals.
 

Jan A

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I always wanted to be Ellie Mae lol. Used to dress like her with the rope belt and all. I too will help any animal. About the first words to my hub when dating, was i will help and have any animal i want and don't make me choose, cuz he would lose lol. Love any animal except the human kind. Not as big on humans as I am animals. All my jobs had to do with animals of every kind, land, water except 3 of them.
I think that's a common case with a lot of people with multiple animals.
The rest of us just got there because of "life" happens. You don't know how stupid you were until you get there & go WTF!!
 

EllieMay

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I checked the in-ground temp right by where I buried the eggs at the same depth and it’s at 83f.. at 1pm… I guess I will periodically check it just for informational purposes over the next two months… I want to get it first thing in the morning as well…
 

Toddrickfl1

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I checked the in-ground temp right by where I buried the eggs at the same depth and it’s at 83f.. at 1pm… I guess I will periodically check it just for informational purposes over the next two months… I want to get it first thing in the morning as well…
You might want to cover the nest with something like chicken wire or a hardware cloth to keep out coons and crows.
 

GardenDmpls

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The female turtles retain sperm for a period of time after they breed with a male. Then when the female ovulates, the eggs are fertilized if sperm is present. After this, the shells begin to form around the egg. This is some time prior to the actual egg laying process. Once the shells are thick enough, the eggs can be laid by the female.

There may be some confusion caused by the term "egg". The female turtles have ovaries just as female mammals do. The ovaries release microscopic single celled "eggs" when the animal ovulates just as in humans or other mammals. It is these single celled "eggs" which are fertilized by sperm if it is present in the female turtle's reproductive tract when the single celled "eggs" are released from the ovaries. As these "eggs" (fertilized or not) move through the reproductive tract, calcium is deposited on them to give them their shells. Once the shells are sufficiently calcified, the eggs are laid and look like what we know as "turtle eggs".

Sperm does not go through the shell of these turtle eggs to fertilize them when they are being laid. It is already incorporated into the egg prior to the egg shells being formed which is generally a week to ten days or more before the shelled eggs are laid.

Hope that explains this process clearly enough. If not, ask more questions and I will try to help.
This is why, as a veterinary science teacher, I would use the word ovum (ova is plural) for the reproductive cell and egg for the "packaged" ovum.
 

EllieMay

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Guess what!!!
There are babies!!! 2 so far. Next question… it’s getting down in the 40’s now. They are Late! So do I put them in the lake as nature intended? Or is it too late in the year for new borns to survive the cold?? 2EB9CF73-77E0-4367-BD53-C7159463A7C9.jpeg
 

Toddrickfl1

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Guess what!!!
There are babies!!! 2 so far. Next question… it’s getting down in the 40’s now. They are Late! So do I put them in the lake as nature intended? Or is it too late in the year for new borns to survive the cold?? View attachment 334701
So cool, how awesome for you @EllieMay As long as their yolk sac is absorbed I'd put them in the lake. They know what to do.
 

EllieMay

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So cool, how awesome for you @EllieMay As long as their yolk sac is absorbed I'd put them in the lake. They know what to do.
Ok.. 1 is almost absorbed.. the other is still working on it.. I had pretty much given up on these guys so I was shocked when I happened to glance in and see babies!!!
 

Moozillion

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Awww.. thanks Bea. I guess I don’t think like that.. its just a bone deep reaction for me and has been since I was a very little girl. My family has always called me Ellie May because of it.. I see it as Gods gift to me. Nature is where I find peace, beauty, miracles.. you name it! In today’s world, you have to respect the simple things I guess.
Can’t wait to see your tank upgrade BTW ?
The upgrade is coming soon! I hope within a week! ❤️
 

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