WILY MOTHER TURTLE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3333, 9 August 1926, Page 2

WILY MOTHER TURTLE.

ENEMIES FOILED BY OAMOtfr | FLAGE. I The first authentic record of the en- ‘ tire operation that a turtle perforins when excavating its egg-chamber and laying its eggs, from the moment it leaves the sea until it returns, has been obta ned by Mr Clifford Coles, of Sydney, Australia, a member of a scientific expedition which has returned from North-West Island, one of the southernmost islands in the Great Barrier ll?ef group. Mr Coles, after a long vigil, saw a green turtle, weighing about 3*cwt, crawl from the sea, dig its egg-cham-ber. and lay .ts eggs. The turtle made two attempts to scoop out a nest, but on each occasion encountered an obstruction. “She then began a third nest,” says Mr Coles, “this time with success.” “The turtle, having reached a depth of IS inches, using her hard hind flappers, carved out an egg cavity fifteen inches below the original depth, and proceeded to lay her eggs, first at intervals o: 10 seconds, and then at lesser I per.ods, until 135 eggs had been counted. I was now lying within a foot of the turtle, and, with the,aid of a torch, was able to observe everything that went on in the cavity. “The turtle sprayed the eggs and cavity with a mucous fluid, and, using her hind flappers, forced sand into the egg chamber. “I used the word ‘forced’ advisedly, because, after the first few inches of covering, the whole weight of her heavy - body was pressed on the surface, fresh sand being flung over the space In- the hind flappers. “The spot was ultimately covered to the level of the surroundings. The turtle then tore up a quantity of grass by the roots and dragged it over the spot where her nest was, covering the tn'ass i in turn with sand, until the spot took j on the' appearance of the.- surrounding I country. i “The turtle now proceeded to make j a ‘bluff’ or false nest u another spot, ( spread sand over it, and carefully drag- [ ged her body to the beach. aster I thwarting as she supposed, her many I possible enemies. Her entire task ocj cupicci more than four hours., j “The other scientists who arrived in j the morning were unable, after most I patient search, to locate the egg-site, i “No fewer than 153 eggs were countI ed when-the nest was dug up. the discrepancy between tins, figure and my I original count being explained by the probability that eggs were laid two, ) three, and even four at a time.”