Yesterday, Michael and I came across a Painted Turtle on one of our trails. She had just laid her eggs, or she was about to. She froze, with her head retracted into her shell. The soil was squish-muddy behind her back feet.
We were glad our dog Latte hadn’t noticed her. I quickly marked the location with a stick at the edge of the path, and we walked on past.
Master of camouflage
An hour later, I went back. The turtle had finished and was gone.
If I hadn’t marked the location, I would not have found it again. The mother turtle had expertly concealed the muddy soil and covered it with grass and leaves. In the first photo below, there’s no sign of the nest. In the second, closer view of the same spot, you might just be able to make out damp soil.
I don’t know how she accomplished this. When I plant something, I can’t help mussing things and leaving an obvious scar. The mother turtle’s skill in concealment is vital. If a raccoon, skunk, or snake could tell that there were eggs lying a few inches under the surface, it would dig them up and eat them.
Now about that mud…
Since it hadn’t rained recently, the ground has been dry and hard to dig in. But a Painted Turtle comes to her task provisioned with a full bladder. She urinates copiously, and that softens the dirt. Then she can easily dig into squishy mud with her back feet.
Into the hole she lays about 6-10 eggs, covers them with soil, conceals the spot, and returns to her pond. She never visits the nest again. The sun’s warmth incubates the eggs. Their survival depends on the earth’s protection.
Hidden beauty
Painted Turtles get their name from their gorgeous lower shell. Biologists speculate that it may help turtles identify other members of their own species. That could be useful for picking an appropriate mate. The colors are mainly red, orange, and yellow. However, the patterns vary and can change or fade as the turtle ages.
Painted Turtle infancy
It takes 72-80 days for the eggs to hatch. Newborn baby turtles can dig their way up out of the nest hole. In some cases, after hatching they may stay underground through the fall and winter and not emerge until the following spring. When at last they break into the open air, the tiny turtles immediately head for water.
A few years ago, on July 5 we discovered a Painted Turtle laying eggs in our garden. We kept track of the location. Nine and a half months later, on April 23 of the following year, ten babies baby turtles finally came up out of the hole.
Many hazards make that first journey a dangerous time for baby turtles. So we gave them a ride to the pond and set them down on the shore, a few inches away from water’s edge.
Instantly, the baby turtles knew what to do. Each one walked eagerly into the water and disappeared beneath its surface.
Every time Michael and I walk past the pond, I think about them and wish them long, happy lives.
What a great story, definitely enhanced by the educational photos. I am impressed with Mama Turtle's camouflage abilities. Nature is so amazing!
do let us know if this is on any of the paths we ride near! how exciting to have a nursery in the woods!