Trish33
New Member
Hello all! Newbie to the forum and I hope someone can give me some advice. I've had painted turtles for over 10 years, never any eggs or babies...which I am completely fine with. And then Chewetta came into my life...my boyfriend was on a job site and rescued an Eastern Box Turtle that was being attacked by a dog. He brought her home thinking all turtles were the same and we could add her to the turtle pond (really?!?). So I made her an outdoor enclosure. I wasn't planning on keeping her because I'm an aquatic turtle gal, but wanted to make sure she was going to be ok - her shell was damaged by the dog bites. She recovered nicely and of course I became attached. Then I caught her laying eggs one night - watched her for hours dig the hole and then bury them...very cool.
Late last Friday night, the little guy in my profile pic emerged. I live in NJ and we had a few freakish chilly, rainy nights Saturday and Sunday. My problem is that I can still see at least two eggs in the hole but no more hatchlings yet. As a mom of two boys and an animal lover - I'm worried sick about the eggs. Is it normal for the eggs to hatch days apart? Do you think the temp change affected it even though it has since warmed back up? Should I dig up the eggs and bring them indoors? Maybe the eggs just didn't develop? Maybe I shouldn't worry so much because turtles have been on earth way longer than I have and they know what they're doing? I have no idea.
I'm freaking out a bit and may end up with a permanent chicken wire indent in my forehead from just staring into the hole for hours. Lol.
Sorry for the long post - again, I'm a newbie...to the forum and to being an expecting turtle mom.
Thank you to anyone who can help!
Late last Friday night, the little guy in my profile pic emerged. I live in NJ and we had a few freakish chilly, rainy nights Saturday and Sunday. My problem is that I can still see at least two eggs in the hole but no more hatchlings yet. As a mom of two boys and an animal lover - I'm worried sick about the eggs. Is it normal for the eggs to hatch days apart? Do you think the temp change affected it even though it has since warmed back up? Should I dig up the eggs and bring them indoors? Maybe the eggs just didn't develop? Maybe I shouldn't worry so much because turtles have been on earth way longer than I have and they know what they're doing? I have no idea.
I'm freaking out a bit and may end up with a permanent chicken wire indent in my forehead from just staring into the hole for hours. Lol.
Sorry for the long post - again, I'm a newbie...to the forum and to being an expecting turtle mom.
Thank you to anyone who can help!