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Snapping turtle eggs

Iowa_Buckeye

Smartest person here
1,776
85
Linn County Iowa
Anyone ever try to hatch them? If so, did you have any luck?

They seem to be really active nesting right now as we have seen 4 in our plots over the past two weekends. While my buddy was planting this morning there were 2 digging holes in one plot. They heading to the timber when he showed so he wasn't sure if they had already laid their eggs or not. He did give me a general idea of where they were, so the girls and I headed up to see if we could find one of the nests to get some of the eggs to see them hatch. It was hard looking as he had ran the planter over the field, but sure enough Shea found the nest and we dug up some of the eggs. Ended up with 37 of them and there will still lots we left and covered back up!!

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Brought them home and put them in an old aquarium in the kitchen. God bless my wife.....

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And I still can't believe my girls beg to do this kind of crap!

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Snapper I saw digging yesterday morning.

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According to what I read on the web, we hope to have some baby snappers in 80 to 90 days. If so, we'll return them to the pond their momma came from.
 

jagermeister

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Ohio
They are nesting like crazy right now. Keep cultivating that interest in wild things with your girls... This world needs more of this!

 
Don't know if this is up to date:
1501:31-25-04 Reptiles and amphibians
(3) It shall be unlawful to take, collect or possess the eggs of snapping turtles or softshell turtles unless legally acquired from outside the state, or propagated under the authority of a commercial or noncommercial propagating license issued under section 1533.71 of the Revised Code.
 

Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
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Stark County
Don't know if this is up to date:
1501:31-25-04 Reptiles and amphibians
(3) It shall be unlawful to take, collect or possess the eggs of snapping turtles or softshell turtles unless legally acquired from outside the state, or propagated under the authority of a commercial or noncommercial propagating license issued under section 1533.71 of the Revised Code.
He is in Iowa.
 

jlane

Junior Member
523
0
dunn nc
Don't know if this is up to date:
1501:31-25-04 Reptiles and amphibians
(3) It shall be unlawful to take, collect or possess the eggs of snapping turtles or softshell turtles unless legally acquired from outside the state, or propagated under the authority of a commercial or noncommercial propagating license issued under section 1533.71 of the Revised Code.

I know we are not suppose to bother mother nature (good or bad intentions), but letting kids learn and interacting with nature can only bring good out of these youngun, WE as parents need to have our kids off their asses, games out of their hands and in the yard or nature more often, KEEP up the good work with your kids, as i did with mine, I haven;t lost a nights sleep with all three of them, now they are grown up and making careers for themselves.:smiley_cheer::smiley_cheer::smiley_cheer:
 

Iowa_Buckeye

Smartest person here
1,776
85
Linn County Iowa
Yea I debated starting this thread as I assumed someone would point out my criminal activity.
I didn't collect them to fry them up or sell them, but rather to have some fun with the girls and have them learn a thing or two about mother nature. So far they have learned the sex of the hatch-lings is determined by the temp of incubation, period of incubation, you can not move/rotate them after the embryo starts to grow, and a few other things. They also know we can not keep them and will be returning them to the pond.
And I am sure they are much safer from coons, skunks, etc in our kitchen for the next 3 months. Least I hope so.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
I thought about mentioning the legality of this, but that'd be a buzz kill lol. It'd be one thing if you were selling them or eating them, but you're not breaking the spirit of the law. I know that still doesn't make it right. In the end though, there will likely be more turtles because of you showing them to your girls.

I'm sure private ponds fall under different rules and regulations. Keep on keeping on! Let them kids enjoy being kids!!!
I don't think it matters.

 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
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North Carolina
It was against the law when I raised two coon also, one when I was a kid.... One in our townhouse when we lived in Columbus.... Never saw any doors being broke down asking for them back....