By Matt Eddy, MMOC Administrator
It’s turtle egg-laying season along Our Muddy! Expectant females have been observed by friends and neighbors in Olmsted Park, Riverway Park, and the Back Bay Fens.
Snapping turtles lay eggs in the spring and summer, typically in a sunny location with well-drained, sandy soil. Using her hind legs, the female digs a bowl-shaped nest that’s 4–7 inches deep and deposits 20–80 small, leathery eggs, each about the size of a quarter. After covering the nest with dirt, the female will likely rest a while before returning to the water. The eggs will hatch in about 3 months.
If you encounter a laying female or a nest, please give them appropriate distance—for your own safety as well as theirs! Nests in questionable locations can be reported to the Boston Park Rangers, who may choose to rope off the site.
Photos: Vincent Cannataro
