Common Snapping Turtle - Tortue serpentine
There was a week toward the end of June when every morning a dozen or so Snapping Turtles would be laying eggs, heading out of the Lake to lay them, or returning to the Lake after laying them. With the water behind her, and a hole she has dug with her back legs and feet visible, this Turtle is in the process of laying her eggs. I was very careful not to move quickly, and I moved on my stomach on the grass, to minimize any disruption to the Turtle, and I grabbed a half dozen images before moving on.
When one is used to birds, and nests in cavities of trees or hidden inside bushes, the egg-laying behaviour of the Turtles seems somewhat reckless. We were on a small hill in this image, completely exposed and very clearly visible from above and to the sides. That said: the Lake is apparently full of females who come out to lay eggs, so something is working.
Common Snapping Turtle - Tortue serpentine
There was a week toward the end of June when every morning a dozen or so Snapping Turtles would be laying eggs, heading out of the Lake to lay them, or returning to the Lake after laying them. With the water behind her, and a hole she has dug with her back legs and feet visible, this Turtle is in the process of laying her eggs. I was very careful not to move quickly, and I moved on my stomach on the grass, to minimize any disruption to the Turtle, and I grabbed a half dozen images before moving on.
When one is used to birds, and nests in cavities of trees or hidden inside bushes, the egg-laying behaviour of the Turtles seems somewhat reckless. We were on a small hill in this image, completely exposed and very clearly visible from above and to the sides. That said: the Lake is apparently full of females who come out to lay eggs, so something is working.