Do Turtle Lay Eggs (How, Where, When, and How Many)

Turtles lay their first clutch of eggs about three to six weeks after mating. 

After the mating process, the female turtle prepares a nest on land. 

The female turtle uses its hind legs to dig a nest when she is about to lay her eggs. 

She digs her nest on land in the last week of her gestation period. 

The turtle find a suitable place on land where there is sand. She then start digging the place with her legs. 

The depth of the nest depend on the size of the turtle. It usually digs as deep as its legs or flippers can reach. 

Bigger turtle lay giant and more number of eggs in a single clutch. 

So, they dig a bigger and deeper nest so that all of their eggs can accommodate in the nest. 

Most of female turtle finish nesting in a couple of hours. 

Now that you know how a turtle lays it eggs, the next question is, do turtle lay eggs in the water or on land?

 

Where Do Sea Turtle Lay Their Eggs?

Sea turtles primarily live in the sea. However, there come on the land to lay eggs.

Usually, they lay eggs between February and September.

Sea turtle lay their eggs on the beach. They dig sand with their flipper to prepare a nest.

They deposit about 100 eggs in a single nest. And they lay around 3 to 7 nest during the nest season.

Sea turtles lay their eggs at night and return to the sea once the eggs are laid.

 

Can Turtle Lay Eggs In Water?

All animal reproduce where they live.

So, you may think that since turtles live in the water, they must be laying eggs in the water.

This is not true. Turtle do not lay eggs in the water. They lay eggs on the land so that they can survive.

Eggs cannot survive in the water as the embryos need to breathe air.

They breathe air thought a membrane in the eggs.

If the eggs are continuously covered with water, the embryos cannot breathe air, and so they cannot survive.

How Long Does It Take For A Turtle To Lay Eggs?

One thing that almost all turtle species have in common is that lay eggs on land.

Female turtle lay their eggs in clutches. Turtle lay their first clutch of eggs in about three to six weeks after mating. 

When the female turtle is ready to lay eggs, she digs a nest in the sand.

It takes one to three hours for turtles do dig the nest and lay eggs.

 

Do Turtle Lay Eggs Without Mating?

When we think of a female turtle laying eggs, the common conception is that she has matted with a male turtle.

However, you will be surprised to know that a female turtle can lay eggs without mating.

Every female turtle has eggs inside her body. So, she can lay eggs will be infertile and will not hatch.

A male turtle is required to fertilized the eggs so that babies are born.

Many wild turtles lay their eggs in the summer. They do this in response temperature change.

That is the main reason why female turtle come on land, and we see many eggs being laid in summer.

So, is it natural, or cloud there be any reason for them to lay eggs in large quantities?

 

Why Turtle Lay Many Eggs?

Turtle lay eggs to ensure that at least some of them survive and become adults. 

Turtle do not show motherly instinct after laying the eggs.

They leave their eggs and go back to the sea the hatchling have survive on their own. 

There are many predator always looking out for eggs to eat. 

They eat the eggs before the hatchling are born. Baby turtles are born from the eggs that survive. 

Following their birth, all babies turtle rush toward the water in a group so that they can hide in the water from their predator. 

However, not all hatchling are lucky enough to reach the ocean. 

Since they are very slow, most of the are easy prey to birds, crab, and other mammals. 

 

Related Question

Do Turtle Lays Eggs In The Same Place Every Year?

Turtle lay eggs in abidance at one time. They lay thousand of eggs in a lifetime. Turtles may lay eggs in the same place and at the same time. But is not necessary that they will return to lay eggs year after year. 

Do turtle stay with their eggs? Turtle do not stay with their eggs. once the female turtle lays her eggs, she covers it up with sand and then leaves the eggs to incubate eggs. it does not look after it eggs or baby turtles. 

 

How Many Eggs Does A Turtle Lay In A Year And It's Lifetime?

Turtle can lay hundreds of eggs in a nesting season. On average, sea turtle lay around 100 eggs in a nest. Female turtle usually lay between 1 to 9 clutches of eggs per season. It may nest in every 2 to 3 years. Flatback turtle lay the smallest clutches among all species. They lay approximately 5 eggs in a single clutch. 

Hawkbill turtles, on the other hand, lay the largest clutches. They may lay eggs over 200 eggs in a nest.

Female green turtle may lay eggs around 2000 to 2300 in its entire life.

 

Do Sea Turtle Lay Eggs At Night?

Sea turtle mostly lay eggs at the night. They do it so that the predator don't locate their nest. Female sea turtle return to the land from February to September to lay eggs.

After laying the eggs the female turtle covers the eggs with sand and moves back to the sea.