we just found them yesterday what do we need to do to hatch them ?what should we put them in ?any tips?
Well, if I were you, I'd leave them where you found them. If they were in the water, it's likely they're already dead (eggs can drown!) If not, you might have damaged them by moving them. If you'd really like to keep and hatch them, here's what you need to do. Prepare a waterproof box (a plastic shoe box works well) with damp vermiculite. Add enough water to the vermiculite so that it clumps (about 20% water). Place the eggs about half way into the vermiculite. Unlike bird eggs, turtle eggs should not be turned at all. Place in an incubator at 77 degrees F (cold temperate turtles) to 86 degrees F (tropical turtles). The exact temperature varies with the species. In the summer, eggs may be developed at warm room temperature. Add a cup of water to the incubator to keep up the humidity. The humidity should be higher for tropical and aquatic turtles than dry-land tortoises and box turtles. If the vermiculite becomes too dry, add some water but keep the water off of the eggs. After 45-75 days or more (depends on species), the turtles will hopefully hatch. Using their egg tooth, it may take a few days. Turtles are born with yolks attached and will not eat until they have been absorbed. If vermiculite is not available you can use good, clean dirt, sand, perlite, or torn newspaper. You can buy sterile dirt or sand or dig some from your yard and bake it in the oven (this will stink!!!). Dampen the dirt or sand but not enough that you can form balls. It should be light and airy. Avoid clay soil. Place the fresh eggs under the dirt a few inches. Mist the dirt daily and keep it in a warm spot (using an incandescent light or some other heat source). The exact temperature varies with species so find out for whichever species that you have. If the dirt or sand dries too quickly, you can lightly cover the box with plastic wrap. Be sure that it does not overheat.
My tip is to leave eggs alone. Do you have any idea what goes into a turtle determining where she lays her eggs? Don't you think millions of years of evolution have taught them a thing or two that you don't know? I've seen turtles go through the trouble of digging a nest hole to the point of completion and change their mind for some reason at the end, wandering off to find somewhere else. whether the temperature wasn't what she wanted or the humidity was slightly off, whatever, who knows what goes through the mind of a turtle. For some reason every year on this site, these questions pop up like weeds in my yard. I found turtle/bird/snake/whatever eggs, how do I take care of them? DON'T YOU THINK THE MOTHER KNOWS THESE THINGS BEFORE SHE LAYS THEM?! But the mommy turtle wasn't there! YEAH! THAT'S THE WAY TURTLES WORK. Within 24 hours of being laid, reptile eggs develop an air pocket and key blood vessels. moving the eggs too much after these have formed will cause said air pocket and blood vessels to rupture, resulting in the death of the developing embryo. In the future, let nature take care of itself unless you don't have to come on a site like Yahoo!Answers to get basic information. and anyway, even if somehow you do manage to get them to hatch, what are you going to do with the babies? Did you think that far ahead? What? You've got a 10 gallon tank you're going to put them in? Think again, and do a bit of real research before bringing another animal (or potential animal) home with you.
