Biology in the yard

This is one of our neighbors from the pond out back. She is a young mother snapping turtle. She made her way up into our yard looking for a place to lay her eggs. We caught her digging a hole in the grass along the edge of our driveway, right where we park the cars. We stopped her mid-dig and persuaded her to seek another spot. We tracked her across the front yard and around the big pine. After that, we weren't sure where she had gone. A week or so went by and we wondered from time to time where she might have layed her eggs. We talked about how a mother turtle buries her eggs and then leaves them. I was impressed at the way in which she used her hind legs and spiky tail to dig. Mr. Dub threw down a size 5 women's croc to get a perspective on her stature.

When she was feeling defensive, she stuck her neck out and puffed up her throat.

On the way to the school bus yesterday, the girls discovered her depository. Unfortunately, somone had discovered it before they did, and had eaten most of the eggs. Maybe a skunk?

We were sad. But at the same time, it was a fascinating glimpse into the world of the snapper.

The eggs ended up being layed about 100 yards down the driveway from the original dig.