Are turtles nesting later this year?

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Jeffreyrichard
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Joined: June 8th, 2010, 6:49 am
Location: Rhode Island

Are turtles nesting later this year?

Post by Jeffreyrichard »

I was playing golf this AM when we ran across a nesting spotted turtle ... wish I had my phone with me for a pic, but no ... thought it was kind of late in the season. The I was thinking how cold in general it's been ... has the nesting season been pushed off?

BTW, one of the best finds for me this year ... its been slow
ackee
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Joined: March 18th, 2015, 8:06 pm

Re: Are turtles nesting later this year?

Post by ackee »

Based on my observations and very old field notes, Spots generally nest twice, in the mid-Atlantic latitude typically once in early May, and again in late June, but this is variable based on any number of factors. The number of eggs is variable, but three for the first clutch and two for the second is common. Spotted turtle eggs hatch relatively quickly.
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Mike VanValen
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Re: Are turtles nesting later this year?

Post by Mike VanValen »

Right now is at the tail end for spotted turtles to lay, but still within the normal time frame.
ackee
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Re: Are turtles nesting later this year?

Post by ackee »

It was almost certainly a second egg deposition this year.
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ZantiMissKnit
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Location: Boston area, MA

Re: Are turtles nesting later this year?

Post by ZantiMissKnit »

Despite the winter lasting seemingly forever, it appears to be on schedule this year. I only saw one spotted turtle nesting, on 6/19 in Norfolk County, and that was the last time I saw any turtle nesting. I saw about nine different turtles nesting (painteds and snappers) on 5/31, and have been seeing evidence of nests since around then.
ackee
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Re: Are turtles nesting later this year?

Post by ackee »

I saw a mating aggregation of Spotted Turtles this year in southern Ocean County, NJ in early April, a cold but sunny day. These mating dances are typical for the species, this time consisting of 5 turtles, what appeared to be 2 males and three females, swimming in a kind of circular pattern in water about a foot in depth, a slow moving stream, near the stanchions of an old unused RR bridge.

These aggregations were much more common in years past when the numbers of spots were greater than they are now. These are a species that thrive in cold weather.
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