Momma Turtle

[Magicman]

Yellow-Bellied Slider laying her eggs.  I happened to notice this which was a first for me.  
https://youtu.be/6vou8FRnLFs
Notice the mud behind her hind legs when she was laying.  She had to have brought the moisture with her because the ground was dry and hard.



 
And then the covered and level nest after she finished her job.

 Several weeks after mating, a female digs a hole with her hind feet and deposits 6 to 10 eggs in it. The eggs incubate for 2 - 3 months and the young often stay in the nest over the winter, emerging the next spring.

[Southside]

Around here they will suggest you surround the nest site with construction wire as the racoons, possums, etc will dig up and eat the eggs. Take it down later and give the little ones a fighting chance. 

[Jeff]

Great Video!

[SwampDonkey]

Never come across a turtle very often. But it's like spotting a lynx, you might see one in 10 years and a little exciting. Watching a turtle lay eggs would be extra special.

Cool video.

[HemlockKing]

Amazing. I witnessed this as a child at a campground. Haven't seen a turtle  nest since. Turtles are cool.

[thecfarm]

I see snappers lay eggs. Mamma snapper is not happy with me around either. They lay eggs down by the culvert at the end of the road. Very common to see 3-4 laying eggs.

[mike_belben]

I had a 10 inch snapper stuck in the fence wire recently and boy was it pithed at that shovel.  Like a cobra.   

Bout a week before helped a baby snapper out of the driveway.   Have had a few of them over the years. 

[Magicman]

I had gone all of my life without seeing a turtle digging an nest and laying eggs, and saw another yesterday:


 
Her hind legs were steadily digging.