Home >> Science & Nature >> Nature

How to Tell What Type of Turtle Eggs They Are

Turtles take great care burying their eggs, sometimes digging false holes to throw predators off the scent. It is therefore an unexpected pleasure when you manage to find them in the sand, gravel and mud of beaches, riverbanks and roadside embankments. Most turtles lay their eggs between June and July. Determining the species of turtle is relatively easy if the eggs are still in the nest. Once they have hatched, any shell fragments left in the nest will likely be damaged and harder to identify. It is still possible to make a positive identification by studying the fragments.

Instructions

- 1
  Determine whether the eggs are spherical or ellipsoid. The eggs of snapping turtles are spherical, for instance, while those of the wood turtle, painted turtle, box turtle and Blanding's turtle are ellipsoid. Ellipsoid eggs will be equally rounded at both ends.
- 2
  Count the eggs if they are still in the nest. This will help you further narrow the number of possible species. Snapping turtles, for example, lay between 20 and 40 eggs at a time while wood turtles only lay between 4 and 12. Blanding's turtles lay between 10 and 12 eggs per clutch. A painted turtle nest usually contains between 5 and 10 eggs, while a box turtle's nest will contain between 1 and 8.
- 3
  Measure the eggs without disturbing them. Snapping turtle eggs are between 1.1 inches and 1.4 inches in diameter. Wood turtle eggs are between 1.2 inches and 1.6 inches, while Blanding's turtle eggs are slightly larger. Painted turtle eggs are usually 1 inch in diameter, while box turtle eggs are about 1.5 inches long.
- 4
  Contact local wildlife trusts for additional help with identification. Organizations such as the Turtle Survival Alliance (turtlesurvival.org) and the Turtle Conservation Fund (turtleconservationfund.org) may also be able to provide assistance.

Nature