Red Ear Slider Laid eggs, is it too hot?

[herbehe]

Hi, I have a pond across from my house and on June 13th a red-eared slider laid eggs in my mulch. I've read temperatures should be under 90degrees. I am in Austin, Texas and it has been hitting upwards of 109!
I haven't touched the area where the eggs are, I don't want to interfere, but I am on watch to help them get back to the pond when they do hatch.
My question is, are they going to hatch, or has it been too hot? I fear they've "cooked" for lack of a better word, but I don't want to touch anything.

What do I do?

 

[Maro2Bear]

Hi, I have a pond across from my house and on June 13th a red-eared slider laid eggs in my mulch. I've read temperatures should be under 90degrees. I am in Austin, Texas and it has been hitting upwards of 109!
I haven't touched the area where the eggs are, I don't want to interfere, but I am on watch to help them get back to the pond when they do hatch.
My question is, are they going to hatch, or has it been too hot? I fear they've "cooked" for lack of a better word, but I don't want to touch anything.

What do I do?

Id say sit back & let Mother Nature do its thing. Higher incubation temps lead to a greater propensity for one sex or the other. Sooo, this year, maybe more females are incubated. Next year, maybe it’s cooler & more males are produced.

Hopefully they get to hatch before a raccoon or fox or ‘possum gets them.

Visit daily Add some pix of the nesting area.

Ps - I guess you could possibly take a gallon jug of water and moisten down the area. Maybe lay a branch over top of the area is in full sun & baking.

 

[Beasty_Artemis]

I found a dead baby red eared slider next to the park once. Too bad! Cute!

 

[herbehe]

Id say sit back & let Mother Nature do its thing. Higher incubation temps lead to a greater propensity for one sex or the other. Sooo, this year, maybe more females are incubated. Next year, maybe it’s cooler & more males are produced.

Hopefully they get to hatch before a raccoon or fox or ‘possum gets them.

Visit daily Add some pix of the nesting area.

Ps - I guess you could possibly take a gallon jug of water and moisten down the area. Maybe lay a branch over top of the area is in full sun & baking.

Thank you! I actually water my plants that are in the mulch and make sure I add water to it. Good idea with the cover

 

[Tom]

Thank you! I actually water my plants that are in the mulch and make sure I add water to it. Good idea with the cover

The females know where to bury their eggs and how deep for optimal egg incubation temperatures. I wouldn't do anything at all to the area.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

They’re sliders after all. I say let them cook before you end up contributing to them out competing any other water turtles that are native.

 

[Tom]

They’re sliders after all. I say let them cook before you end up contributing to them out competing any other water turtles that are native.

Hi Ken! This poster is in the native range of the RES.