Maine Snapping Turtles Often Lay Eggs on The Side of The Road

If you're like me and spend a fair amount of time driving on the rural roads of Maine, then you likely see wildlife pretty often. Whether it's a wayward squirrel doing the back and forth dance on the double yellow lines, or a baby deer and its mom leaping across two lanes of traffic, wildlife in the road is a way of life up here.

One of the things I notice the most however, at least this time of year (mid spring), is a crazy number of giant snapping turtles nestles into the soft road shoulder digging holes and laying their eggs. But I've always wondered 'why'. Well, with a little help from my good friend and animal expert, Chat GPT, I have my answer(s).

By the way, if you're not using Chat GPT yet, you need to be. It will make your life so much easier in just about every aspect. Sure, you have to fact-check it every once in a while but, for the most part, it's usually dead-on-balls accurate.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand here. As it turns out, snapping turtles seek out loose, warm and well-drained soil to dig their nests in. Maine road shoulders often have exactly that. The compacted dirt, gravel and sand from road maintenance and plow trucks helps the nest stay warm and drains water better than forest floors or wetlands.

In addition I also learned that the warmth of the road nearby helps incubate the eggs. Turtle eggs, like turts themselves (yes, I call them 'turts') are temperature-sensitive. Warmer conditions can sometimes lead to faster development. The heat retained by the road can create a kind of "natural incubator" if you will. Or even if you won't.

And lastly, but certainly not leastly (I know that isn't a word...sue me), many roads in Maine cut through or at least border wetlands, ponds and/or streams. These areas are prime snapping turtle habitat. When females leave the water to nest, they don’t usually go far. Road shoulders are often one of the first "suitable" spots they encounter.

So there you have it in a turtle shell (HAHAHAHHAHHAHA). Now you know what these turt moms are laying their eggs in traffic. Because they want to. Next time you see this happening, slow down and move over a little, would ya? Let these turts do as God intended. To lay their eggs on deadman's curve on the Weeks Mills Road.