Just got this email from D (who works from home):
As I was making lunch today I noticed the turtle was back (in the mulch area of the back yard). This time I could only see between 1/2 to 2/3 of her as the back end was in a hole she was sitting in. 20 minutes later when I started cleaning up after lunch she was still there.
From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Snapping_Turtle)
--Snappers will travel extensively overland to reach new habitat or to lay eggs. Pollution, habitat destruction, food scarcity, overcrowding and other factors will drive snappers to move overland; it is quite common to find them traveling far from the nearest water source. This species mates from April through November, with their peak laying season in June and July. The female can hold sperm for several seasons, utilizing it as necessary. Females travel over land to find sandy soil in which to lay their eggs, often some distance from the water. After digging a hole,the female typically deposits 25 to 80 eggs each year, guiding them into the nest with her hind feet and covering them with sand for incubation and protection. Incubation time is temperature-dependent, ranging from 9 to 18 weeks. In cooler climates, hatchlings overwinter in the nest.
So, depending on the tempertaures this summer, her babies could hatch at the same time as mine!
9 weeks=August 6th
18 weeks=October 8th
I'm due September 20th!
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