(Lewis) You may see an uptick in the number of turtles crossing the road this time of year, according to John Lorenzen, Fisheries Biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, appearing on the KSOM weekly DNR Report. He says the turtles are moving around, looking for a suitable place to lay their eggs.
Lorenzen says snapping turtles lay, on average, 40 eggs per clutch, each about the size of a ping-pong ball. He says, depending on the weather, the eggs will incubate naturally in the ground for 55 to 120 days before the baby turtle hatches.
Lorenzen says the sex of the turtles is also weather-related, with research showing that cool nest temperatures lead to a higher proportion of males. In contrast, warmer nests result in a majority of female turtles.
