Fresh eggs anyone?

[stevej37]

My small backyard pond contains 5 turtles and 4 Koi/goldfish.


The largest turtle is a female and is about 8 years old. She dropped 4 eggs in the pond and 2 broke.
These are the 2 intact ones.


With no sand to bury them in..they will not develop. Last year, the same happened and I tried covering them with sand in the sun..didn't work.
I think the only way to hatch them is with an incubator and I'm not that interested in doing that.

[Bill Douglas]

Great pond!

[KFC911]

Though I have large farm ponds, with too many turtles, I'm surprised they don't leave the pond and find land to bury the eggs...is there none? Should you create an artificial egg laying area? Better still....send me your address, and you'll have more turtles than you can fathom....yellow sliders. I will NOT send you a 2' diameter snapper....I promise

[id10t]

any zoos in your area? any natural history museums or biology museums?

Mom always manages to see a nest or two being laid in every year (~5ac pond in front yard), unfortunately the lazy ladies drop 'em just up from the water line... and then we get a few feet extra water due to summer rains and/or hurricanes/tropical storms. The not lazy turtles will go up above any possible high water mark (sometimes across her drive and down into the woods behind, towards the creek back there) and dig their nest.

She's tried covering them with mesh grating, etc to keep out the coons/possums/foxes/etc but she's not managed to actually catch a hatchling in the act of making a break for freedom....

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Great pond!

Thanks!
It's nice to have in the summertime. The deck and patio furniture is right next to it.
The turtles will eat out of your hand...they like freeze dried shrimp the best!

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by KC911

Though I have large farm ponds, with too many turtles, I'm surprised they don't leave the pond and find land to bury the eggs...is there none? Should you create an artificial egg laying area? Better still....send me your address, and you'll have more turtles than you can fathom....yellow sliders. I will NOT send you a 2' diameter snapper....I promise

No way for them to escape. The plexiglass that you see in the pic keeps them in.
The pond has a vinyl liner...no mud or sand to bury the eggs.
5 is enough!

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by id10t

any zoos in your area? any natural history museums or biology museums?

I'm not sure if the eggs are fertile. I'm almost positive one of the turtles is a male, but he is only about a year old.

[KFC911]

I see the barrier now...you just let me know if you change your mind though !

Can you just dig a hole and bury the eggs?

[john70t]

Very cool. Grandparents used to have a place on a lake near Perry. One person would stay in the canoe behind and I would usually swim ahead. About twenty feet from the log they are lined up on, you duck under and swim between the lilly pads. They just fall into your arms. Got 26 painteds on one day all scratching the Grumman to heck and making a racket. Take them on shore and have races. Good times.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by KC911

I see the barrier now...you just let me know if you change your mind though !

Can you just dig a hole and bury the eggs?

I tried that last year in the sand, but I think it was too dry. I prob should have kept the sand moist. They aren't native to this area, but painted turtles are...which are very similar to my red-eared sliders. These came from a pet store..they were dollar sized hatchlings.

[john70t]

mmmmm don't worry about the eggs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eared_slider
It is native to the southern United States and northern Mexico, but has become established in other places because of pet releases, and has become an invasive species in many areas, where it outcompetes native species. The red-eared slider is included in the list of the world's 100 most invasive species published by the IUCN.

[id10t]

Originally Posted by stevej37

I'm not sure if the eggs are fertile. I'm almost positive one of the turtles is a male, but he is only about a year old.

They wouldn't really care if fertile - they could want them for dissection, etc.

I'd offer to see if our teaching zoo wanted 'em but we've offered them entire nest fulls (from the lazy turtles at mom's pond) and they had no need. Didn't bother calling the FLMNH over at The Other College (UF) but they've taken similar donations from me in the past

[stevej37]

Feeding time!

[gordner]

I have a large pond with 11 good sized Koi. I looked at adding turtles, cause it think they are cool as hell, but damn do they cost a lot!

[KFC911]

FREE TURTLES! You pay shipping...just send me yer address...

Half price by the dozen

[gr8fl4porsche]

“We have a pool and a pond.”
“The pond will be good for you.”

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by gordner

I have a large pond with 11 good sized Koi. I looked at adding turtles, cause it think they are cool as hell, but damn do they cost a lot!

Craigslist quite often has unwanted turtles. Pet shops around here want $20 for red-eared slider hatchlings.
I bought a couple of mine online from Florida. They came in a box the size of a cig pack!

[stevej37]

This mother turtle was carrying a lot more eggs than mine was!

[KFC911]

^^^^^ Wow...unreal, thanks for posting that! I occasionally see the results of other wild critters getting to the turtle eggs around my ponds....sometimes appears to be quite a few eggs, but nothing like that amazing video....mebbe a dozen eggs. Don't know if they are the yellow sliders, or big azz snappers however. I liked the commentary....a snapper would eat the schit out of those. Yes, yes they would....mean, nasty predators they are....that's why I eliminated 5 huge ones over the past year...just had too many. The sliders I trap and relocate...errr...ship

[gordner]

I don't know how easy mailing a turtle across the border would be though I genuinely appreciate the offer lol. Ive only looked at one pet store here, a large retailer, and they had no hatchlings but the yellow sliders were about two hundred and up!