Can you guess?

[ssshane]

I was contacted by a local rehabber to go collect some eggs. The home owner contacted him when the turtle laid the eggs in their drive and didn't cover them. They were worried about the large number of fire ants on their property destroying the eggs. Can you guess the species?

[eminart]

I'm torn between common snapper and spiny softshell. I think I'll guess spiny softshell.

[Albert Clark]

Possibly a olive ridley sea turtle. Final answer. Haha.

[Jim Smith]

Assuming that fisherman on the boat in the cove is fishing for bass (freshwater), I would have to say a snapping turtle. It looks like there's a pretty good distance between the front feet where she anchored herself to dig the nest so it would have to be a very big soft-shelled turtle. I'd say snapping turtle.

[mrgrimm]

Whatever the species, seems to be a bad choice of location, and she just left it open? Bad, bad mommy!

[ssshane]

It is a soft shell. All but two of the eggs are doing fine. I can't wait til they hatch

[ssshane]

[SnoopySnake]

Aww babies! So cute!

[ssshane]

[Jim Smith]

What a very cool ending to this story!!! Nice work saving and hatching these babies out and thanks for sharing the story and the photos.

[ssshane]

Thanks Jim, I have really enjoyed it. I set up two nice tanks tonight with adequate filtration and once their bellies have closed up from the cords I will put half in one and half in the other.

[eminart]

Good job hatching them.

And, what did I win?

[chairman]

Are you allowed to release at least some of them back into the wild? I can't imagine how large of a pond you'd need to build to house that many adult softshells...

[Albert Clark]

Thanks for all your hard work ssshane! Kudos also.

[Albert Clark]

How long will it take to differentiate the sexes in these or any soft shells. Thanks.