Turtle made a nest (Update: BABIES!!!)

[Bunny2746]

I had the wonderful gift last night of watching one of my back yard turtles make her nest and lay eggs. She has been searching for days and I would watch her dig and dig only to leave it and go on. Yesterday was different she started at 5:30 and finished up around 9:30. If I hadn’t watched her I would never know she was even there. It truly was amazing to watch her work so hard digging and then to work so hard with her little legs to put all the dirt and leaves back just like they were. How do I protect the area where she made the nest?

 

[Eric Phillips]

I had the wonderful gift last night of watching one of my back yard turtles make her nest and lay eggs. She has been searching for days and I would watch her dig and dig only to leave it and go on. Yesterday was different she started at 5:30 and finished up around 9:30. If I hadn’t watched her I would never know she was even there. It truly was amazing to watch her work so hard digging and then to work so hard with her little legs to put all the dirt and leaves back just like they were. How do I protect the area where she made the nest?

Wire some hardware cloth around the nest site and on top. It will be enough to keep birds and rodents away from the nest. If you have an ultrasonic animal deterrent that will work too. However, I will say keeping ants away from the eggs can be extremely challenging. Nature will always find a way...

 

[Eric Phillips]

I’ve put 3 of these babies around my garden and turtle pens and I haven’t seen hardly any squirrels or birds. Our village is infested with black squirrels and they get into everything. This one was $20 on Amazon, solar powered.

 

[Bunny2746]

I’ve put 3 of these babies around my garden and turtle pens and I haven’t seen hardly any squirrels or birds. Our village is infested with black squirrels and they get into everything. This one was $20 on Amazon, solar powered.

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well that would pose problem because I feed the squirrels and the birds but my husband did make a type of cage with the hardware cloth. We placed it over the nest and anchored it to the ground as best we could. We will see. Thank you on your thought about the hardware cloth,,,,,,the whole time I kept thinking why you would suggest cloth until I got to the lumber store and saw what hardware cloth really is!!

 

[Bunny2746]

Interesting, this turtle searched all week for a place to lay her eggs again and she chose a spot right next to the last nest. And after research it says they can lay several clutches.
Also I think she is the only female left in my back yard as they all come and go but now it is her and a gulf coast male and he is always after her. Should I take him out of the yard and send him on his way? Ive read that there should be two or three females per male.

 

[Krazyturtlelady]

So lucky! I have been waiting for years to see one make her nest and lay eggs. I guess I'm just never there at the right time. Good luck!

 

[Bunny2746]

So lucky! I have been waiting for years to see one make her nest and lay eggs. I guess I'm just never there at the right time. Good luck!

Hahaha so your a crazy turtle lady too! My kids and husband call me that as well. And yes I feel lucky ,this is the first time I’ve ever experienced this! Fun Fun

 

[Krazyturtlelady]

Hahaha so your a crazy turtle lady too! My kids and husband call me that as well. And yes I feel lucky ,this is the first time I’ve ever experienced this! Fun Fun

I think they started calling me that after many hard brakes and u turns to get turtles out of the road. Before that I was KrazyFootball Mom. Lol

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I think they started calling me that after many hard brakes and u turns to get turtles out of the road. Before that I was KrazyFootball Mom. Lol

I used to be the CrazyTurtleKid, then I was the CrazyTurtleYoungMan, Now I'm just the CrazyTurtleGuy.....someday I'll be the Crazy old man with the turtles

 

[Bunny2746]

so I’ve just discovered that the eggs have hatched I checked on them and saw movement and found one baby. Do I take the little cage off and just let them wander off or shall I wait ti tonight.

 

[Bunny2746]

Oh my I’m just so excited can I dig them up and see how many there are.

 

[Bunny2746]

There are still eggs and I only see one baby it’s smaller than a quarter . I’m hoping Eric or Yvonne can give some advice. This is a first for me they are backyard wild turtles.

 

[Yvonne G]

I would be afraid predators would get the babies. If it were me, I'd gather them all up and set them up in an indoor enclosure. I keep baby box turtles indoors* until they're about two or three years old.

*When they get to be over a year of age, I take the whole enclosure outside during the day then back indoors at night.

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh my I’m just so excited can I dig them up and see how many there are.

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That's worse than "Where's Waldo" !!!! I can see one little baby's back in the second picture, but don't see any babies in the top picture!

 

[Yvonne G]

I would be afraid predators would get the babies. If it were me, I'd gather them all up and set them up in an indoor enclosure. I keep baby box turtles indoors* until they're about two or three years old.

*When they get to be over a year of age, I take the whole enclosure outside during the day then back indoors at night.

Oh wait. . . you said they're wild turtles. That puts a whole other spin on it. Take away the protective netting and allow nature to take its course.

 

[Bunny2746]

That's worse than "Where's Waldo" !!!! I can see one little baby's back in the second picture, but don't see any babies in the top picture!

I don’t want to keep them I want to let them be wild how do I do that and still protect them as babies

 

[Bunny2746]

Oh wait. . . you said they're wild turtles. That puts a whole other spin on it. Take away the protective netting and allow nature to take its course.

Ok shall I do that at night

 

[Bunny2746]

She has laid two nest right to each other and I just checked on the other one and there is a baby starting to come out it’s shell so I covered it back up.

 

[Yvonne G]

I would leave the wire around the nests until all the babies are hatched out, then gently take them and deposit them under the bushes.

 

[Bunny2746]

So my curiosity got the best me and i had to know what the other eggs were doing and to see the little one. Glad I did because all the other shells were either deflated or a hole in them. There was one with a partial baby that i thought was hatching but it was not alive. So there was about eight eggs I think and this baby is the only one to survive. It did not have its egg sack so I’m thinking he was there for a few days. And my intentions were to let all the babies crawl into the azaleas but now that there is just one lonely little turtle I think he needs to stay with me.
What to do with such a little one?