I believe the turtle in my yard is nesting. What do I do about this?

Question

A red-eared slider has been hanging around my residence in my rental community, and I've been checking on it daily. Today, I found it in its usual spot, but with its back end resting in a trench that it had dug with its hind feet. In the trench there was a muddy goo which appeared to be some sort of secretion. So I have a handful of questions:

Is this turtle preparing to lay eggs?

How long after nesting would this occur?

How large is a typical red-eared slider clutch?

Do turtles protect their eggs after laying?

Is it dangerous to move turtle eggs once laid?

I'm concerned because, as I said, this is a rental community, and the turtle is in a very conspicuous area which is mowed regularly. If you can answer -any- of these questions, I'd be very grateful.

Answer 1

dont worry about the turtle and dont try to move the eggs

Answer 2

call animal control and let them take care of it.

Answer 3

just leave the turtle and the eggs alone and everything will be fine.  there is no need for you to do anything.

Answer 4

unless there is a male..the eggs will not be fertilized and thus no lil babies..

WikiAnswers - How do red eared slider eggs hatch

Pet Turtles and Reptiles question: How do red eared slider eggs hatch? ... How long before red-eared slider turtle eggs hatch? ...

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Answer 5

The odds are against the turtle laying eggs. They usually do everything at one time. This might be a false nest.

Turtles give no parental care at all.

By a day after laying, you can kill the embryo by moving the eggs. If you need instructions for moving eggs safely, either go thru old answers here or email me. The safe thing to do, if you can get away with it, is to cover the eggs with a wire mesh to keep predators out and find some way to keep the lawnmowers off for 2-3 months.

Answer 6

the turtle is probly gonna lay soon.

  after she is settled in, she will lay. real soon

not sure how many though

  she will probly leave them

  if you move them, be very gentel, keep them the way they were, right side up, dont tip them.

  I would let a pro come get them both. just gently grab her up or stand near her and  call a zoo if one is local, if not wild life or a pet store. unless you do your home work, you could rescue her, give proper home so she will lay them, turn her loose, incubate the eggs and turn them loose when born, best luck

Answer 7

They usually lay the eggs at night, so this is probably a practice nest.  She will probably dig another one soon and lay eggs.  She will not protect the nest once the eggs are laid.  The eggs may or may not be fertile.  If she does lay eggs, I personally would dig them up and dispose of them.  There is a hug overpopulation of RES - many have to be euthanized every year.  Plus, if they hatch in an unprotected enclosure (like your yard) they can fall prey to birds (and lawn mowers as you've described.)  Does this mama RES have access to water?  You may think about finding her a nice pond to live in.

Good luck to you and this little girl!  :)

Answer 8

Call the wildlife animal control in your area.

Answer 9

Well, she's dug the hole, the eggs will be laid at the same time the hole is dug with a short rest period between (if she isn't bothered during the process and as long as she's happy with the temperature and humidity range inside the hole).

Egg laying happens at the end of hole digging.

Not sure how large a res clutch is, it would be easy enough to look up.

Turtles, like most reptiles abandon their eggs after they are laid. The hatchlings have plenty of natural instinct to take care of themselves when they hatch.

Like all reptile eggs, turtle eggs develop an air pocket and key blood vessels within 24 hours of being laid. If the eggs are turned after these have formed, blood vessels will rupture and the air pocket will shift, causing the developing embryo to suffocate. In other words, moving ANY reptile egg is not suggested if you want it to have a chance to hatch.

Once the eggs are laid and she's packed the dirt back in around them, you could probably drive a truck over the nest without harming the eggs. The sand will cushion them from anything going on above.