Sunday, May 27, 2012

More good nature on the bike trail!

 A female snapping turtle digs a hole under the edge of the asphalt bike path to lay her eggs!

 Vacant abandoned hole nearby shown below. 
There were three additional recently dug and re-covered holes within 20 feet of this one.  Gestation is 3-4 months depending on temperatures, etc, so being there when  they hatch will be pretty much impossible, but I'll keep an eye out in September for signs they have emerged!  I suspect that the warmth of the asphalt may hasten their development if it doesn't actually cook  them?
Here is a link to a short video  I took of her digging.. she was in no big rush, and alternated left and right feet.

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