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Name a Turtle Hatchling - Wild Care Rescues, Incubates,
and Hatches Eggs from Turtles Struck by Cars on Cape Cod
Summer traffic on Cape Cod is something we all dread, but for wildlife it can have serious consequences. Starting in May, all types of turtles are on the move and head to nesting spots around the Cape to lay their eggs. With the increase of cars on the road this time of year, many never make it. This year alone, Wild Care has treated more than 79 turtles, most for vehicle strikes. Many times even when a female turtle does not survive, we are able to examine her and determine if she is carrying eggs. So far this season we were able to harvest eggs from Common Snapping Turtles, Eastern Box Turtles, and Diamondback Terrapins, a threatened species. While we wish we could save all animals, we feel grateful to continue the circle of life by harvesting and incubating these eggs.
We're Expecting and Have Some Hatchlings!
32 SNAPPING TURTLE EGGS - They can take up to 100 days to hatch. When we last looked, the many of eggs were completely dark which means the turtles have grown so big they are taking up the entire inside of the shell! (26 have hatched!)
10 EASTERN BOX TURTLE EGGS - We can see 4 embryos so far, and we are hopeful the others will develop more in the next week.
33 DIAMONDBACK TERRAPIN EGGS - These eggs are from 3 different mothers. We are watching and hopeful as they continue to develop!
UPDATE: We have 26 Snapping Turtle hatchlings! A few were just placed into water, but for now they are mostly burying themselves in the moss.
Information in this turtle report was gathered by Wild Care Staff Wildlife Rehabilitator Chelsea Peck.
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