June 5, 2017 – West Bend, WI – It’s nesting season for snapping turtles on the Eisenbahn State Trail in West Bend.
Riveredge Nature Center in Newburg said the turtles lay a cache of about 20 to 30 eggs that are round and white like a ping pong ball.
Turtles bury their eggs in the soft soil along-side the trail, often making dummy nests to mislead predators.
Many times 100 percent of the eggs are lost to skunks and raccoons.
Early signs of dry, white egg shells that look like warped Styrofoam half-circles are actually from nests that have been raided and eggs destroyed.
Eggs of unharmed baby turtles will hatch in September.