KAUKAUNA — It’s nesting season for snapping turtles, and they’ve been spotted at various locations in Kaukauna near the Fox River.
At the 1000 Islands Environmental Center, they spotted a snapping turtle nest last week on the property and put up signs alerting visitors.
It’s that time of year when female snapping turtles are out and about, searching for just the right spot to lay their eggs.
If you come across a nest during your visit, please be kind and give it space so the hatchlings have their best chance to thrive, read a social media post from 1000 Islands.
Nearby, at the Kaukauna Public Library, their work sometimes includes rescuing animals.
Occasionally turtles get trapped heading to the canal and are in danger from cars, the library posted to social media last week.
That’s when one of the librarians added “snapping turtle wrangler” to his resume.
He got him back to safety.
- A female can lay 20 to 40 eggs in one nest
- Eggs take about 9 to 18 weeks to hatch
- Only about 1 in 100 hatchlings survive to adulthood
The snapping turtle is Wisconsin’s largest and heaviest turtle species. Its shell can vary from light brown to black in color and it has a saw-toothed back edge.
The tail supports a row of jagged dorsal scales and is nearly as long as the carapace. The head has large jaws and a pointed snout with a prominent beak. Its long neck, powerful jaws and aggressive behavior have rightly earned the snapping turtle its name.
