Turtles friend or foe? - 06/25/14 02:28 AM
In the interest of not wanting too many fish lost at the hands (or jaws) of a growing snapping turtle population, I'm suddenly on the alert for turtle activity.
Last year, almost a week ago to the day we had a snapper digging in our landscape beds by the front of the house laying eggs. (babies would have about 200 feet to go to make it into the pond) The underground sprinkling went in about a month later and the digging crews found the nests and most of the eggs didn't make it. I wasn't too bummed but was worried where the snapper came from and how many of the young snappers would find their way into my pond. I understand that June is the only time you will see a snapper usually, and that the rest of the year they are usually under the mud, snapping up your fish.
This year I watched carefully and didn't see any snapper activity. Someone stopped in our drive way last week and dropped off a turtle into our pond (without asking) I found out it was a young snapper and it ended up being moved to a new home. We have a a dozen or so other types of
turtles that hang out in the pond or near the edges of the pond and seldom see them more than a foot or two away from the water (sorry don't know the names) They like to lounge on my pallet 'condos' and soak up the sun.
Last weekend I saw a large 'land' turtle, dark shell on top, streaks or geometric pattern of yellow on bottom cruising across the road and I relocated it into the woods.
Yesterday it seemed another turtle that looked similar was going back and forth behind our back door on the cement patio. I moved him to the adjacent woods in the back yard in case our puppy got to inquisitive. I found a dead turtle of similar size at the edge of the pond Sat morning last week, no idea the cause of death, seemed to be full grown, otherwise healthy appearing adult.
Then tonight I noticed the same turtle I moved last night, back on my cement patio, 2 steps from my back screen door digging in the woodchips and probably depositing eggs. I'm pretty sure it is not a snapper, no ridges on back, no curved jaws or characteristic tail, I didn't bother it to flip it or see the underside of the shell.
With a million places to lay eggs, why so close to the house? We have tons of other places where there are soft wood chips to dig in
I assume these are paint or box turtles and their young won't live in the pond but in the woods?
Are they good to have around the pond in general? When the baby turtles show up, should I help move them to the location of the pond to save them from predators, or will they find their way quickly into the woods?
Hope the picture is OK, it was through the screen.
I guess it works out well that my kids wanted a bed time story about Franklin the Turtle and they always like to hear about how Franklin got shorted of treats from the tooth fairy because turtles don't have teeth.. Of course then my 5 yr old who has not lost any teeth yet wanted to know what the tooth fairy looks like, how she gets in the window, how she gets the treats under the pillow, and why the tooth fairy would want everyone's old teeth...
Last year, almost a week ago to the day we had a snapper digging in our landscape beds by the front of the house laying eggs. (babies would have about 200 feet to go to make it into the pond) The underground sprinkling went in about a month later and the digging crews found the nests and most of the eggs didn't make it. I wasn't too bummed but was worried where the snapper came from and how many of the young snappers would find their way into my pond. I understand that June is the only time you will see a snapper usually, and that the rest of the year they are usually under the mud, snapping up your fish.
This year I watched carefully and didn't see any snapper activity. Someone stopped in our drive way last week and dropped off a turtle into our pond (without asking) I found out it was a young snapper and it ended up being moved to a new home. We have a a dozen or so other types of
turtles that hang out in the pond or near the edges of the pond and seldom see them more than a foot or two away from the water (sorry don't know the names) They like to lounge on my pallet 'condos' and soak up the sun.
Last weekend I saw a large 'land' turtle, dark shell on top, streaks or geometric pattern of yellow on bottom cruising across the road and I relocated it into the woods.
Yesterday it seemed another turtle that looked similar was going back and forth behind our back door on the cement patio. I moved him to the adjacent woods in the back yard in case our puppy got to inquisitive. I found a dead turtle of similar size at the edge of the pond Sat morning last week, no idea the cause of death, seemed to be full grown, otherwise healthy appearing adult.
Then tonight I noticed the same turtle I moved last night, back on my cement patio, 2 steps from my back screen door digging in the woodchips and probably depositing eggs. I'm pretty sure it is not a snapper, no ridges on back, no curved jaws or characteristic tail, I didn't bother it to flip it or see the underside of the shell.
With a million places to lay eggs, why so close to the house? We have tons of other places where there are soft wood chips to dig in
I assume these are paint or box turtles and their young won't live in the pond but in the woods?
Are they good to have around the pond in general? When the baby turtles show up, should I help move them to the location of the pond to save them from predators, or will they find their way quickly into the woods?
Hope the picture is OK, it was through the screen.
I guess it works out well that my kids wanted a bed time story about Franklin the Turtle and they always like to hear about how Franklin got shorted of treats from the tooth fairy because turtles don't have teeth.. Of course then my 5 yr old who has not lost any teeth yet wanted to know what the tooth fairy looks like, how she gets in the window, how she gets the treats under the pillow, and why the tooth fairy would want everyone's old teeth...