How Is a Baby Turtle Born?

All turtles and tortoises lay eggs shortly after breeding in the spring. The number of eggs and incubation depend on the species of turtle or tortoise.

  1. Background

    • Turtles and tortoises usually breed in the spring, but this may vary depending on where the turtle comes from and its species. After breeding, turtles will lay their eggs in moist sand or earth, where they will incubate and hatch out as fully formed baby turtles.

    Red Foot Tortoises

    • Red foot tortoises lay two or three clutches of eggs each season, and the clutch size is about five eggs each time. The eggs are slightly oval, about 45 mm in length, and weigh about 40 g. It takes about 150 days for the eggs to hatch, and the babies emerge as miniature versions of the adult.

    Green Sea Turtles

    • Green sea turtles emerge from the ocean onto beaches in the southeastern part of the United States to lay their eggs. This usually occurs between June and September. Females will lay about three clutches per season, but a high number of eggs, between 75 and 200. It takes green sea turtle eggs between 45 and 75 days to hatch.

    Australian Freshwater Turtles

    • Australian freshwater turtles breed in the spring, and lay about three clutches of eggs through the season. Each clutch will have between six and 37 eggs. When incubated artificially at 28 degrees C, the eggs will hatch between 54 and 62 days, but may take 46 to 123 days when laid in the wild.

    Males and Females

    • Once an egg is laid, the sex of the baby turtle inside is determined by the incubation temperature. When the eggs are incubated at 85 degrees F, most of the babies hatch out female. If the incubation temperature lowers to 75 degrees F, most of the babies will be male.