Four days ago GrandCamper spotted a female Common Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) digging a hole in the soil to lay her eggs. We were much too excited and created way too much commotion. Next thing we knew she had vanished without laying her eggs. We learned our lesson. In the photo above GrandCamper is adding her hand to the image for scale. I didn’t even have to suggest that!
Three days pass. Yesterday afternoon we’re out in front of the cabin picking blueberries and little GrandCamper spots another momma box turtle preparing to lay her eggs. This time we are quiet and respectful, making sure that we don’t make any grand disturbances. Success! This morning by mid-morning momma box turtle had covered her eggs and gone off to wherever she lives leaving the eggs on their own. GrandCamper and I have checked my photographs and we’re both sure that this is not the same turtle that was spotted earlier. This is another one. Her picture is above. So now we must wait. Common Box Turtle eggs can take from forty-five to ninety days to hatch. So we wait and watch. And a little help too. To protect the eggs from predators GrandCamper and her Grandpa went into the shop and built a little cage to place on top of the turtle nest, with a big rock on top of that, to protect it from skunks, raccoons, coyotes, foxes and chipmunks.
