A TURTLE’S NEST.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 23, Issue 8, 30 January 1912, Page 2

A TURTLE’S NEST.

Along the southern coast of America one may occasionally detect little mounds of sand on the beach, almost a sure indication of the nest of the green turtle. Tills creature first digs in the soft sands by means of its flippers a pit from fifteen to twenty inches deep and a few feet above high water mark. • In this hole the mother turtle buries herself for two days. When she emerges she has invariably left behind a nest of eggs, which vary in'number from eighty to as many as two hundred. She then fills in the hole and leaves the hatching to the heat of the sun. An interesting fact about these eggs is that the shells are quite soft. The period of incubation is about' sixty days. As soon as they break out of tbeir prison the young turtles immediately make for the water. Unfortunately they have many enemies—rats, birds and crabs steal the eggs, while as soon as the baby turtles reach the water they are liable to .be devoured' by the larger fish. Indeed, if all the eggs laid by the creatures were hatched and the turtles attained to an average size, these creatures would be almost as plentiful as cod.