Many Painted Turtles Chrysemys picta live in our pond. They mate once a year; in Minnesota, it is usually late May or June. Usually, Painted Turtles lay between 4 and 15 eggs. This year, the females looked for nest sites with soft sandy soil, even if they have to cross lawns and rocky shores.
One found a good spot on the sunny slope above the pond. Because she knows her hatchlings will instinctively head straight for the water, from here their short trip will be downhill. She dug a shallow hole with her hind feet, and deposited her eggs. She covered the hole carefully and returned to the water, her job done for this season.
The eggs usually hatch about 72 days later, in late August or early September. Unfortunately, turtle nests are often discovered by birds, raccoons or skunks, who make a meal of the eggs. It's not unusual for many of painted turtle eggs to be lost to predators. We found a few raided turtle egg nests like this one . . . the eggs eaten and the shells strewn around the hole.
