Snapping Turtles On The Move!

To see a Common Snapping Turtle this time of year is not unusual. In fact, baby turtles are actually active now! Many are hatching from their nests and making their journey towards a water source.

 Inevitably, this means hatchlings might also be in harm's way! This was the case with a turtle found recently on our Black Course, roaming near our mowers and golf carts. While typically we leave wildlife where we find it, this situation was brought to my attention and the turtle was rescued. 

How did the lone hatchling even get there? It is likely that 3 months ago, the mother made this location her nest site. Gravid (pregnant) females will deposit eggs in any sunny, sandy or dirt patch they can find. Sometimes it is in hidden areas, along a forest edge or in field. Other times, the nest site selected is along a road or in a parking lot (both vulnerable areas).

When a female is ready to lay her eggs she creates an excavation cavity with her hind legs. Cavities are approximately 8 inches deep in the ground. Each nest can contain a clutch (group) of  up to 40 eggs! Once the eggs are laid, the female will back fill the sediment, until the eggs are completely covered. After this, the female's job is completely done! There is no return to the nest, to watch over the hatchlings or guide them to a water source. No maternal care is provided beyond this point.

Snapping turtle hatchlings have an "egg tooth". This is also called a caruncle, which help them break free from their shell! 

 

While hatchlings are naturally self-sufficient, unfortunately less than 1% actually reach adulthood. The biggest threat is predation. Turtles are easy targets for racoons, foxes and birds, especially if they can get to them at the egg stage. Habitat loss and negative human influence (cars, mowers, and boats) have also contributed to the turtle survival rate. As one can observe from the photos, turtle hatchlings are very small. Snapping turtles are only about 2 inches long as hatchlings, and easily overlooked in the wild. While this makes protection and conservation difficult, here at Bethpage State Park, all staff is on board. Eyes are open and on the look out, especially during the fall.

Turtles have the instincts to survive without parental care but they have a lot working against them.

Two years ago, we also found hatchlings in a dangerous spot on the Green Course. Both then and now, I brought these snappers to safety in our #14 Green Pond. This location seems most suitable of all our pond habitats; it is the least disturbed and away from traffic. The overgrown vegetation that grows around the pond is also an added buffer from predators and humans.

 

Moved the turtle into our pond habitat. Have a safe and good life little one!

If you are ever on a golf course, park or area where you think a turtle is in danger please contact conservation personnel. While absolutely adorable, turtle hatchlings found outside are not suitable pets. If in the event, you are unable to reach someone, scoot it along safely in the same direction it is going. Only interfere or move hatchlings if they are in immediate danger.

 

 

Post photography and writing by Yael Weiss.