Judy's Nesting Box Turtle Story
Judy Glattstein (Tue, 17 Sep 2019 06:00:07 PDT)

Back in May I found a male box turtle near my tool shed. (Box turtles
are easy to sex - males have red eyes, females have brown.) Early in
June we saw a female, right next to our front walk. She came back five
days later. And again on the evening of June 15 when she dug her nest.
It took her about 4 hours. I only took one picture as I did not want to
disturb her with flashlight.

I put a crate over the site, weighted with a concrete block in case
raccoons came looking for a midnight snack. I would remove it in the
daytime, cover at night. Called around for information. Was told I could
relocate hatchlings no more than 2 football field distance. Figured the
marathon crawl across our lawn and possible drop over retaining wall
could be an issue. So relocation to a brush heap would improve odds of
success.

There would be -  potentially - 4 to 6 eggs. Those at the upper, warmer
portion of the 5 inch deep, flask shaped nest would hatch as females,
those at the lower, cooler portion of the nest would become males.
Global warming issue concerns, anyone? Very few hatchlings survive to
maturity. Those that do live for 40 to 80 years, baring road accidents.
I have seen three different individuals on our property this year, so my
assumption is that there is a good population.

Concerned that the tiny hatchlings might fit through the milk crate
openings I gave my husband a bulb crate and he fastened a "skirt" of
flattened gutter guard around the perimeter. Alas, I should have butted
up patio blocks around the outside, because on the morning of Sunday,
September 15 I noticed the hole in the second image. The hatchlings are
so tiny they were able to wander forth under the irregularities between
crate and ground.

What have I learned? Box turtles hatch at night. And that I am now
concerned about mowing the grass.

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