Box turtle eggs ~ Updated on page 2

[sgtmom52]

My husband just came back from a run with 3 box turtle eggs in his hand. He said he just saw a school bus accidentally run over a box turtle and kill it. He found three intact eggs with her body along with other broken eggs. He brought them back to see if we could save them.

I am warming up my LG forced air bator right now to about 80 degrees. (my hovabator 1588 is loaned out & halfway through a hatch). So far I have read to keep them moist and at 78 to 82 degrees. The eggs are wrapped in a moist paper towel right now. I need to find some kind of bedding material to sit them in.

Has anyone here successfully hatched box turtle eggs and can give any suggestions on how to give these babies a chance at life?

 

[porkchop48]

try vermiculite for a hatching media.

I wish I was able to help more.

The vermiculite should be darn but not soaked. Make it wet enough so when it squeeze it just a few drops of water come out.

 

[Okie Amazon]

They don't need turning like avian eggs apparently. I once brought home a little terrapin that I picked up off the road, and before I could relocate her to an appropriate habitat, she laid eggs in the sand of the pen I had put her in. I gave the eggs to the Oklahoma City Zoo herpatarium, but they said they would probably have hatched anyway just buried in the sand as long as it didn't get too hot and dried out. Might give your local zoo or other herp oriented institution a call and see what they recommend. They might even take them off your hands and hatch them for you if you want.

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

I've never hatched box turtle eggs but I have hatched snapping turtle eggs. All I did was fill an old sled with sand. (you can use any type of container) Then I buried the eggs in the sand and made sure they were covered. Also, cover the sled (or whatever type of container you use) with some sort of predator proof material. I used hardware cloth. I forget how long it took them to hatch but they finally did and I think we had like 18 little turtles hatch. Then we released them in the pond. It worked out great. Good luck!

 

[Okie Amazon]

Uh.... you want snappers in your pond????? That doesn't sound like anyone I know.

 

[sgtmom52]

Thanks everyone ~ I have them half buried in a plastic container with damp vermiculite and the lid on, but cracked to allow for a little air gap. I need to avoid air hitting them from the bator fan as that would dry them out and kill them. The incubator is almost at 80 degrees (darn after I worked so hard to get it to hold stable at 99.5). I have a misting bottle ready for the daily misting and have my fingers crossed. Hopefully the eggs weren't damaged when mom was killed. If everything goes well, they should hatch in 70 to 90 days ~ and I thought 21 days was long!

I found a couple of good websites like this one ~ http://www.aboxturtle.com/box_turtle_incubation.htm

 

[jettgirl24]

70 to 90 days?!?!?! I would go crazy waiting on those things... 21 kills me every time, I can't imagine having to obsess over something any longer than that

 

[equine623]

Sending you a PM now

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

delete

 

[hollyclyff]

Aww, your husband is awesome for bringing home the eggs. Hope they hatch. I've never hatched turtle eggs, but I did hatch a lizard egg last summer. A little anole. It's mama laid two eggs in a potted plant. I didn't know they were there and went to set the plant out in the garden and dumped the eggs out. One was destroyed and I felt so bad, but I put the other in some slightly moist vermiculite and it hatched out fine.