Turtles lay their eggs in the warmest months of the year. Female turtles lay eggs on the shore by digging a nest in the moist soil or mud. They leave their eggs there to incubate. Usually, female turtles lay eggs in clutches and lay more than one clutch during a nesting season.
Let’s understand the nesting process in-depth. But first, let us understand…
How Do Turtles Lay Their Eggs?
Turtles lay their first clutch of eggs about three to six weeks after mating.
After the mating process, the female turtle prepares a nest on land.
The female turtle uses its hind legs to dig a nest when she is about to lay her eggs.
She digs her nest on land in the last week of her gestation period.
The turtle finds a suitable place on land where there is sand or moist soil. She then starts digging the place with her legs.
The depth of the nest depends on the size of the turtle. It usually digs as deep as its legs or flippers can reach.
Bigger turtles lay giant and more number of eggs in a single clutch.
So, they dig a bigger and deeper nest so that all of their eggs can accommodate in the nest.
Most of the female turtles finish nesting in a couple of hours.
Now that you know how a turtle lays its eggs, the next question is, do turtles lay eggs in water or on land?
Where Do Turtles Lay Their Eggs?
Where a turtle lays its eggs depends on its species.
Both freshwater and saltwater turtles lay their eggs in the nest on land.
Some turtles migrate to lay their eggs, while others lay their eggs near the place where they live.
Now let’s take a look at the places where different species of turtles lay their eggs.
Where Do Red-Eared Sliders Lay Their Eggs?
Red-eared sliders are the most popular pet turtles among hobbyist.
The habitat of these turtles is in the Midwestern United States and parts of the south.
They are mostly found in freshwater rivers and streams.
Red-eared slider turtles mate between March and July every year.
They do not lay their eggs at a particular spot. Instead, the red-slider turtles find a suitable place which is hidden from predators to lay their eggs.
They will dig a nest in the sand to lay their eggs and then cover it up so that the eggs are safe.
The female red-eared slider lays about 2 to 30 eggs in a clutch.
Red-eared sliders do not exhibit any parental care, and so they do not take care of their eggs.
Once the eggs are laid, their job is done. Later, they return to the river, and the eggs hatch on their own.
Where Do Sea Turtles Lay Their Eggs?
Sea turtles primarily live in the sea. However, they come on the land to lay their eggs.
Usually, they lay their eggs between February and September.
Sea turtles lay their eggs on the beach. They dig the sand with their flippers to prepare a nest.
They deposit about 100 eggs in a single nest. And they lay around 3 to 7 nests during the nesting season.
Sea turtles lay their eggs at night and return to the sea once the eggs are laid.
Where Do Eastern Box Turtles Lay Their Eggs?
Eastern Box turtles live on land for most of their life.
They are found in the moist areas of the Eastern United States. They live in forests and marshlands that receive frequent rainfall.
Eastern Box turtles lay their eggs any time between May and July.
The female turtles find a suitable loose, moist, or sandy soil for laying their eggs.
They dig the nest in moist soil where there is direct sunlight.
They dig very slowly, and so they take a lot of time to dig their nest. The female turtles lay several clutches of eggs.
Each clutch may contain around 5 to 10 eggs. The eggs take around 70 to 120 days to hatch.
Where Do Loggerhead Sea Turtles Lay Their Eggs?
The loggerhead sea turtles also come ashore to lay their eggs. They choose an area above the tide line to lay their eggs.
Their nesting period is June and July every year.
The loggerhead sea turtles lay their eggs near the water. This helps the hatchlings to return to the sea quickly.
Can Turtle Lay Eggs In Water?
All animals reproduce where they live.
So, you may think that since turtles live in the water, they must be laying their eggs in the water.
This is not true. Turtles do not lay eggs in the water. They lay eggs on the land so that they can survive.
Eggs cannot survive in the water as the embryos need to breathe air.
They breathe air through a membrane in the eggs.
If the eggs are continuously covered with water, the embryos cannot breathe air, and so they cannot survive.
However, the only exception to this is the long-necked turtle.
It is usually found in Australian tropics and is the only turtle species that lays its eggs in the water.
Alright! That was all about the nesting process and where the various species of turtles lay their eggs. But…
How Long Does It Take For A Turtle To Lay Eggs?
One thing that almost all turtle species have in common is that they lay eggs on land.
Female turtles lay their eggs in clutches. Turtles lay their first clutch of eggs in about three to six weeks after mating.
When the female turtle is ready to lay eggs, she digs a nest in the sand.
It takes one to three hours for turtles to dig the nest and lay eggs.
The only species of turtle that is very slow at digging is the Eastern Box turtles.
They take around 5 to 6 hours for digging the nest and laying eggs.
What Season Do Turtles Lay Eggs?
Turtles lay eggs during the warmest months of the year.
A few weeks after mating, female turtles come on the shore for nesting and laying eggs.
Most of the female turtles come on land at night during high tide to lay their eggs.
In the northern hemisphere, female turtles lay eggs from May to August during summertime.
While in the southern hemisphere, turtles lay eggs between November to February.
The only exception to this are the leatherback turtles that lay their eggs in the winter.
Rest all species of turtles lay eggs in the summer.
Alright! That was primarily about the process of laying eggs.
But, what about female turtles who do not mate? Do they still lay their eggs?
Do Turtles Lay Eggs Without Mating?
When we think of a female turtle laying eggs, the common conception is that she has mated with a male turtle.
However, you will be surprised to know that a female turtle can lay eggs without mating.
Every female turtle has eggs inside her body. So, she can lay eggs even without mating.
However, the eggs that are laid without the mating process will be infertile and will not hatch.
A male turtle is required to fertilize the eggs so that babies are born.
Many wild turtles lay their eggs in the summer. They do this in response to the temperature change.
That is the main reason why female turtles come on land, and we see many eggs being laid in summer.
So, turtles lay eggs in many clutches and in abundance at a single time.
But, is it natural, or could there be any reason for them to lay eggs in large quantities?
Why Turtles Lay Many Eggs?
Turtles lay many eggs to ensure that at least some of them survive and become adults.
Turtles do not show motherly instinct after laying the eggs.
They leave their eggs and go back to the sea. The hatchlings have to survive on their own.
There are many predators always looking out for eggs to eat.
They eat the eggs before the hatchlings are born. Baby turtles are born from the eggs that survive.
Following their birth, all baby turtles rush towards the water in a group so that they can hide in the water from their predators.
However, not all hatchlings are lucky enough to reach the ocean.
Since they are very slow, most of them are easy prey to birds, crabs, and other mammals.
Also, many hatchlings die while marching towards the sea due to dehydration.
Related Questions
Do turtles lay eggs in the same place every year? Turtles lay eggs in abundance at one time. They lay thousands of eggs in a lifetime. Turtles may lay eggs in the same place and at the same time. But it is not necessary that they will return to lay eggs year after year.
Do turtles stay with their eggs? Turtles do not stay with their eggs. Once the female turtle lays her eggs, she covers it up with mud or sand and then leaves the eggs to incubate. The job of the female turtle is up to the point of laying eggs. It does not look after its eggs or baby turtles.
How many eggs does a turtle lay in a year and in its lifetime? Turtles can lay hundreds of eggs in a nesting season. On average, sea turtles lay around 100 eggs in a nest. Female turtles usually lay between 1 to 9 clutches of eggs per season. It may nest in every 2 to 3 years. Flatback turtles lay the smallest clutches among all species. They lay approximately 5 eggs in a single clutch. Hawksbill turtles, on the other hand, lay the largest clutches. They may lay over 200 eggs in a nest. Female green turtle may lay eggs around 2000 to 2300 in its entire life.
Do sea turtles lay eggs at night? Sea turtles mostly lay eggs at night. They do it so that the predators don’t locate their nest. Female sea turtles return to the land from February to September to lay eggs. After laying the eggs, the female turtle covers the eggs with sand and moves back to the sea.
