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How to Find a Snapping Turtle's Nest

Whether you want the eggs to raise snapping turtles at home or just want to see a nest, finding a snapping turtle's nest can be an adventure. Named for their powerful jaws, snapping turtles live in aquatic areas and rarely leave the water. They bask in the sun on the surface of the water or hibernate in or under logs in the water. Snapping turtles traverse the land in the spring to find a suitable place to lay their eggs. Researchers and conservation groups hunt for the nests to protect and study the eggs, but anyone can find a nest if they search in the right places.

Things You'll Need

Gloves

Instructions

- 1
  Check to make sure your area has snapping turtles. They naturally live east of the Rocky Mountains, but they also have been introduced in a few areas of California and Oregon.
- 2
  Search for their nests from June to September. Females lay their eggs in May and June, and the eggs hatch in August and September.
- 3
  Find a suitable habitat. Snapping turtles live in almost any freshwater or brackish environment, but they prefer slow-moving waterways with soft bottoms.
- 4
  Look for snapping turtles or evidence of them, including tracks or areas where they have recently been digging.
- 5
  Find a well-drained, sunny area up to 1 mile from the water in areas such as lawns, gardens and roadsides. They also lay eggs in sand, sawdust and muskrat or beaver lodges.
- 6
  Search for a place where the ground has been disturbed. Females dig a round nest up to 18 cm in the ground before burying their 20 to 40 eggs. Predators kill most eggs before they hatch, so also look for signs of predation.
- 7
  Carefully remove the eggs with small, dull tools or gloves.
- 8
  Cover the nest when you are finished.

Animals & Science