Nesting Turtles
Turtle nesting season typically begins mid-May and runs through to mid-July, with June being the peak month for nesting. Most turtle species lay eggs annually. Blanding's turtle females have been known to lay eggs every other year. For a female snapping turtle depending on when she mated, egg-laying may extend into autumn.
The following is information that will be helpful to know about turtle nesting and identifying a turtle nest on your property or public property. We have set up this resource so you can easily read just the subject matter that interests you or read the information in its entirety. It is our hope you find this resource useful and informative this turtle season and thereafter.
(1) About Nesting
(2) Predation
(3) Nesting Sites
(4) Nesting Substrate
(5) The Nesting Process
(6) Identify Nesting Activity
(7) When Nesting May Occur
(8) Give Turtles Space
(9) After Nesting
(10) Nest Protection
(11) Poorly Timed
(1) About Nesting
Since the survival of the eggs depends upon concealment, the best way to find a nest is through witnessing the actual egg-laying process. This is of course not always possible. When the turtle is not observed nesting it can be more of a challenge.
It can take time to learn to detect a finished turtle nest it comes with having a sense of when and where turtles will nest, being familiar with a few telltale signs, and looking at the lay of the land a little differently than you have in the past. Unfortunately, nests are most often detected after a predator has dug out the nest cavity and there are eggshell remnants scattered on the ground around the nest opening now visible.
That being said even the most experienced person can find it difficult to locate a Painted turtle, Map turtle, or Blanding's turtle nest when the turtle was 'not' observed nesting because they tidy up their nest site so well and are meticulous about making the nest site blend with the surroundings. It can be difficult to near impossible to identify some nests until predators have dug up the eggs. This contributes to why many of their nests get predated during the first 10 to 21 days of the incubation period and often within 24 hours of the turtle laying her eggs.
(2) Predation
Please be prepared for predation, it is heartbreaking but also part of nature's plans as some of the turtle eggs are intended to sustain other species. The ongoing and increased efforts to protect turtle nests present day are to offset the imbalance that has resulted in the number of nests surviving vs. predated has skyrocketed over the last few decades. This is in large part due to human activities that have contributed to various predator species populations such as raccoons exploding. Additionally, turtles often nest at night or during the wee hours of the morning leaving nests vulnerable to predation. Nests are easily detected by memory, visual cues, and scent. Some nests do go undetected by predators most often thanks to natures helping hand. Rain during nesting season is very helpful as it helps to dissipate the scent the turtle leaves behind which can linger for 2 to 3 weeks.
It is hard to accept that after all the effort that has been put into nesting, 90 percent or more of turtle nests are predated by predators such as raccoons, skunks, foxes, minks, snakes, rats, crows, etc.
(3) Nesting Sites
Female turtles have a strong nesting site fidelity that most often is their place of birth and thus has ancestral connections. Interestingly this could potentially mean there are nesting sites where the mother turtle and possibly at least one of her offspring having reached sexual maturity may be nesting at the same nesting grounds at some point.
In today's changing world turtles being able to return to their place of birth to nest isn't always the case as development, alternate land use, or other changes may have made their birthplace inaccessible or inhospitable for nesting forcing a turtle to have to find an alternative nesting site nearby if possible or elsewhere. Changes of this nature can be extremely stressful for turtles and cause opportunistic nesting, meaning a turtle takes advantage of freshly disturbed soils where digging is easy. Poor nesting locations are also possible even a dirt, gravel, or mulch pile that is temporarily located on a driveway or construction site.
If a female turtle finds a nesting site she can successfully nest, she will often remain faithful to it throughout her life. It is not uncommon for a turtle to return to the same nesting site each year and nest within a few inches of where the turtle nested the year before and in previous years. In regards to nest protection, this is beneficial as knowing where a turtle nests is half the battle. On the downside, this can work against turtles as predators will know where and when there will be turtle eggs on offer.
Some nesting grounds require female turtles to travel great distances to dig a nest and lay eggs others not as far. When we spot turtles crossing roads in a direction that takes them away from obvious turtle habitats such as wetlands and we think this odd, if during the nesting season most likely it is a female turtle making the terrestrial trek to where she will nest. If helping a turtle across the road always move the turtle in the direction the turtle was headed.
Note: A turtle ready to nest will often store urine to be used to aid in digging her nest. If you have ever stopped to assist a turtle across the road and been peed on this was likely a turtle looking to nest. She peed because she was stressed and scared by being handled. If at all possible assisting a turtle across the road without handling the turtle during the nesting season would be best however in situations where the turtle is in eminent danger from vehicles and needs to be moved off the road quickly without question do what has to be done to prevent the turtle from being run over by a vehicle. The turtle will likely put off nesting for a bit and resort to storing urine again or not.
If you see a turtle wandering around your property or a public site during nesting season the best thing to do is give the turtle space and leave the turtle alone, she is likely looking for a good nesting place.
(4) Nesting Substrate
Typically turtles nest in substrate they can dig, which is in a south, south-west facing locations for maximum sun exposure and well-drained substrate. Turtles like to lay their eggs in sandy or loose soils comprised of sand and gravel that is free from vegetation free or has minimal vegetation cover. The soil composition of road shoulders, driveways, and some gravel pits is unfortunately particularly attractive to nesting turtles. Beaches and shorelines being sandy are other locations turtles like to nest. Sometimes where turtles nest is based on what substrate is available which isn't always the best for a successful outcome such as Loam (could be a mixture of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter), compost piles, and gardens which may retain too much moisture but even so there are times hardy clutches of hatchlings are produced. Other substrates that can present challenges that turtles do at times nest is areas landscaped with woodchips, mulch, sandy fire pits, etc.
(5) The Nesting Process
During May to mid-July female turtles that have reached sexual maturity leave their lakes, ponds, or wetlands in search of sites with sandy or loose substrate in which to lay their eggs. Sexual maturity is more to do with the size of the turtle than age and varies with each turtle species native to Ontario. Snapping turtles for example are ready to mate when their carapace (upper shell) measures about 8 inches. This is when they are 17 to 20 years of age. Snapping turtles rarely leave their aquatic habitat except during the breeding/nesting season. Males will travel to find mates and females will travel varying distances to dig a nest and lay eggs. Some turtles have been found as far as 2.5 km from the nearest water source. Selected nest sites again depend on the species and can include; road shoulders, beaches, gardens, embankments, driveways, fire pits, compost piles, etc. Blanding's turtles nicknamed 'the wanderer' are known to travel more than most turtle species and have been tracked as far as 5 - 6 km as they move between summer, nesting, and winter habitats.
Once a turtle locates the precise location she intends to nest she uses her hind legs to dig a shallow bowl-shaped nest in a well-drained, sunny location. She does this by slowly scooping one foot full of the earth at a time up and to the rear of her, alternating her left and right hind feet. If the soil is dry and tightly packed, she will urinate on it to facilitate digging. Nest depth varies by species and with the length of their hind legs. Snapping turtles, for instance, dig nests between 5 and 8 inches deep, but the depth of the hole depends on the size of the turtle since it is usually as deep as the female turtle can reach with her hind legs.
When the hole for the nest is dug she proceeds to tip her backend downwards into the nest and slowly lift her body, then releasing one egg at a time, snapping turtles sometimes two. The shape of the egg varies from one turtle species to another. An example is snapping turtle eggs that are similar to a ping pong ball but smaller and painted turtle eggs that are oblong and oval. While tipped in the nest laying eggs the turtle will raise her body when she releases an egg and then lowers her body for a minute or two of rest, and then up again to release an egg. She does this as many times as it takes to expel her eggs and deposit them into the nest. All the while the turtle uses her hind legs to carefully arrange the eggs after each one is laid and cover them with soil.
The egg-laying process can take an hour or several hours, it depends on the number of eggs she lays. This again varies with each species an example being snapping turtles that can lay as many as 1 to 100 plus eggs and painted turtles possibly 7 to 13 eggs. After she has finished laying her eggs the turtle will use her clawed hind feet to slowly begin to scrape the two piles of soil she removed back into the hole, one foot at a time until the eggs are covered, at which point she tamps the soil down with her plastron (under shell/breastplate). This is her best attempt to disguise the nest by brushing the substrate over the area. Bless them for trying but they don't always do a great job making the nest quite visible to two-legged and four-legged predators. After the nest is covered the female turtle begins her trek to where she is headed to return to the water, leaving the eggs and hatchlings to fend for themselves.
(6) Identify Nesting Activity
How to identify nesting activity when the turtle was 'NOT' observed nesting ...
Wet Patch: A tell-tale sign a turtle has possibly nested is a distinct 'WET PATCH' on the surface of the soil, gravel, or sandy substrate. Female turtles store urine before nesting. This is done so they can urinate during nest construction making the substrate easier to dig. If fairly fresh the wet patch can be detected after the female has left the nest site but the wet spot will dry up rapidly on sunny days, leaving little evidence of the presence of a nest.
Not So Tidy: Snapping turtle nests are easier to spot. They are not as fastidious about tidying up their nest site and leave visual cues. If you look across the soil, gravel, and sand in an area that has loose, the substrate you will see the soil has been disrupted and/or appears different from the surrounding soil. The turtle digs a nest so the soil is churned up. It may even appear that the soil is wet looking because below the surface there is more moisture or it is wet from the turtle urinating and/or a combination. An indication of nests could include disturbed sandy and vegetation.
Turtle Trails: If sandy soil you may even see trail marks on the surface that show the turtle approaching the site, leaving the sight and the fresh nest will have claw marks at the outer edge. Should you observe turtle trails and no nest look around the area she may have nested elsewhere or may return to that location when nesting conditions are optimal.
Test Nests: Some turtles will excavate several holes; these are referred to as "false nests" which are holes dug that they don't bother to fill in. There is research to suggest that turtles make test nests to camouflage the real nest. After laying eggs in the hole and covering them with dirt, the female departs.
(7) When Nesting May Occur
Nesting activity accompanied by increased road crossings is more apt to occur …
- In the early mornings through to about noon. Turtles are less likely to be on the move during the afternoon if it is hot and sunny but exceptions are always possible.
- In the evenings as the hot afternoon temperatures begin to come down. Nesting turtles are known to sometimes use the milder evening/night temperatures and protective cover of darkness to lay their eggs.
- During light, intermittent showers and/or after it rains 'regardless of the time of day' nesting activity will often increase. Rainy and humid days should put drivers on high turtle alert!
- Although the rain is more inclined to encourage us indoors this is not the case for the turtles during nesting season.
There are several reasons turtle behavior aligns with the rain, especially during nesting season. These include; (i) turtles are highly aquatic and increased moisture simulates an environment they are most akin to, (ii) turtles are more apt to be on the move when the risk of dehydration and/or overheating is diminished, and (iii) the rain may cause water levels to raise facilitating the turtle movements in the wetlands, especially snapping turtles, (iv) the ground is softer and easier to dig a nest to lay eggs, and (v) rain will help erase most of the visual clues from the nesting site and (f) help dissipate the scent that lingers after a female has nested. All indicators suggest that turtles are very much in tune with their environment and although they do not remain with the nest as do other animal species they do make choices that give the nest the best possible chance of surviving.
- The Strawberry Moon is known to be a time many turtles nest. The full moon has not been scientifically proven to influence freshwater turtle species nesting habits nor has it been disproven. Given the effect moon phases have on the water it is not a far stretch to think that aquatic life would fall under the cascading effects of the full moon in some way. The connections turtles have with the Strawberry Moon during nesting season are very obvious each year. This year the 'Strawberry Moon' is June 3rd.
(8) Give Turtles Space
If you observe a turtle nesting give her space to ensure the nesting process is not disturbed. It is recommended that you keep at least 10 meters between you and the nesting turtle. If you have a dog with you it is best to remove your canine companion from the area. The presence of people being too close and/or a dog can be stressful for a turtle and cause her to abandon the nest without laying all her eggs or filling in the nest which could leave the eggs especially vulnerable.
When turtles have eggs, they have to expel them. If they don't, they can get 'egg bound,' also known as suffering from egg retention or dystocia. It can be life-threatening. A turtle disturbed while nesting may even dump her eggs into the water. Fertile eggs dumped into the water will die in short order as they drown. If you find turtle eggs in the water, it is recommended that retrieve you them if it is safe for you to do so and call the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre home of Ontario's turtle hospital at 705-741-5000.
(9) After Nesting
After the female turtle has finished nesting and covered her nest, observe the direction she heads. If she intends to cross the road please help ensure she gets safely across the road when and if it is safe for you to do so. Nesting is physically draining so a female turtle after nesting will move slower than usual and dehydrated making her more vulnerable when crossing roads. If you assist a turtle across the road it is imperative to make 'SAFETY YOUR #1 PRIORITY' for your sake as well as the motorists counting on you to make wise and safe choices. Be sure to move the turtle in the direction she was headed. Note: Sometimes female turtles after nesting will begin to head in a straight line away from the nest giving the impression that is the direction the turtle intends to go. Hang back and be sure, snapping turtles are often observed moving in a straight line away from the nest and then they do a '360' which results in the turtle heading in the opposite direction.
(10) Nest Protection
It is widely reported that as many as ninety percent of all turtle nests are destroyed by predators, weather events and conditions, accidental disturbances, and other factors. We know that many eggs do not hatch and many babies do not live long. So any nest that is protected may have a positive impact on the survival of a new generation of local turtles. If a turtle nests on your property you 'are allowed' to install a turtle nest protector and are encouraged to do so as a contribution to species recovery efforts in your community. Should you observe a turtle nesting on private property you do not own or public property such as a road shoulder, roadside, park, etc. as per property ownership, jurisdiction bylaws, motorists/cyclists/pedestrians safety and liability turtle nest protectors are 'NOT' permitted to be installed. Should you install a nest protector without permission and there is an accident you would be held responsible and liable for any damage or injuries caused.
We are fortunate in Ontario to be able to protect turtle nests on our property. It is an opportunity to help species at risk some provinces do not have. We ask that people focus on protecting the turtle nests that 'CAN' be protected and they have permission to do so. As tough as it is to not be able to protect all nests nature does have its own set of checks and balances that are to be respected and part of this includes turtle eggs having a role in sustaining other species.
How To Make A Nest Protector
https://thinkturtleconservationinitiative.wordpress.com/2022/03/30/how-to-make-a-nest-protector/
Where To Buy Turtle Nest Protectors
(11) Poorly Timed
Being realistic, sometimes turtles do not nest at ideal times; knowing all of the above does not change the fact that here you are, it's 8 pm, and a turtle has nested on your property, and you do not have a nest protector or the materials to make one. We get to hear of people under such circumstances resorting to DIY methods for protecting turtle nests, sometimes just for the night, other times for the entire incubation period. One has to be very careful what they use. Turtle nests are living, breathing entities, and if unsuitable nest protection measures are used without meaning to, a nest deprived of sun, moisture, or air can be harmed or killed. There are MNRF requirements to meet for a reason.
Resorting to a bit of MacGyvering we have a trick for getting a turtle nest through the night until you can either purchase a nest protector or make one. Don't laugh! Most everyone has a stove, meaning oven racks are readily available and an easy temporary fix. How so? Cover the nest with an oven rack and place a heavy rock on each corner. More rocks can also be added to the sides but 'do not cover the center' where the nest is. For additional backup to deter predators, if you have a spray mist bottle, fill it with undiluted white vinegar and spray the area around the nest, oven racks, rocks, and surrounding area. If you saw the path the Turtle left by, spray that as well. Many a nest has made it through the night using this wee trick.
Snapping Turle just finished nesting.
Copyright © 2024 Think Turtle Conservation Initiative - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.