How to Grow a Snapping Turtle Egg

If you come across a snapping turtle nest in the wild, it's best to leave it alone. But if the nest has been disturbed by wildlife, or if you have a pet snapping turtle that has laid eggs, you can try incubating the eggs yourself. Snapping turtles lay eggs in underground nests that they dig in the banks near the bodies of water where they live. Their nests are often raided by predators such as raccoons, skunks and opossums.

Things You'll Need

  • Plastic shoebox
  • Vermiculite
  • 2 thermometers
  • 10-gallon aquarium
  • Submersible aquarium heater
  • Piece of Plexiglas cut to fit the aquarium top
  • Drill
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fill the plastic shoebox with 2 inches of vermiculite. Add water until the vermiculite is damp, but not soaking wet. Allow any excess water to drain out by tipping the container. Place one of the thermometers in the center of the vermiculite.

    • 2

      Set the submersible aquarium heater to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and place it in the bottom of the aquarium. Place the plastic shoebox inside the aquarium. Do not allow them to touch, as the heater could melt a hole in the plastic.

    • 3

      Add lukewarm water to the aquarium until the water level is approximately 1/2 inch over the level of vermiculite inside the shoebox. Add the second thermometer to the water, then turn on the heater.

    • 4

      Drill several holes for air exchange in the Plexiglas, then lay it over the top of the aquarium. Wait for the temperature of the thermometer in the shoebox to reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 5

      Make an indentation in the vermiculite, then bury the eggs about halfway. If they are fertile, they will hatch in 60 to 90 days from the time they were laid.