How do snapping turtle eggs hatch?

Generally, hatchlings emerge from their leathery egg in August through October by using a small egg tooth to break open the shell. (Northern snapping turtles sometimes overwinter in this egg stage.) When the young hatch, they dig out of the nest and instinctively head to water. read more

A female snapping turtle will typically lay her eggs in early summer. Depending on when she mated, egg-laying may extend into autumn. She chooses a nesting site in an area of loose soil, sand, loam, vegetation debris or sawdust, where she digs a nest 4 to 7 inches deep. read more

While it's unlikely that all 20 to 30 eggs in a clutch of eggs will hatch, you may find yourself with a dozen or more hungry little mouths at the end of the 2- to 3-month incubation. Newly hatched turtles are the size of a quarter at hatch, and grow to about 6 inches long in their first year. read more

Turtle eggs hatch between 8 and 10 weeks after they are laid. While breeding and egg-laying habits vary slightly between different species of turtles, most species have roughly the same incubation period. read more