Box turtle eggs ~ Updated on page 2

[sgtmom52]

Ten days into incubation and the turtle eggs are looking good. The temperature is holding steady around 80 degrees and I am misting them daily to keep the humidity high. I can't tell if they are fertile yet. I don't want to touch or move them to candle so we will just wait and see what happens. Turtle eggs are not supposed to be moved during incubation or the embryo can die. If thing go well we may have little turtles hatching in August. If they hatch, they will be released back into the woods as eastern box turtles are endangered.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Thats wonderful! Good luck on your hatch, I'm very interested in how it goes

 

[showme31]

Hope they hatch for you. Would be neat to see that. I'm always saddened when I see a smashed turtle on the road, it's not like it jumped out in front of a moving vehicle. If we see one in the road and it's safe we usually move it to safety in the direction it was heading.

 

[equine623]

They look great!! Nice and plump, shows they have enough humidity

When they hatch, give them a couple days for the yolk sac to absorb, no need to feed them anything and then turn 'em loose

 

[sgtmom52]

Quote:
Thanks ~ we have our fingers crossed ~ it is going to be a long wait!

 

[redhen]

Awwww! I hope they hatch!!

 

[onthespot]

in AUGUST!!!??? And I thought three weeks was a long wait!

 

[sgtmom52]

Quote:
It is very different from incubating chicken eggs. They have to be kept between 78 & 82 degrees for 70 to 90 days and at a high humidity. They also must not be turned at all. I'm hoping at a constant 80 degrees they may hatch on the earlier side of the range.

I will be a long wait but worth it to give them a chance at hatching. Eastern box turtles are considered endangered and we would love to get 3 more little ones back out in the woods.

 

[hollymh]

Good luck! That's a looonggg wait lol 21 days kills me!