Turtle's

dragoncjo

Piney
Aug 12, 2005
1,524
237
42
camden county
Star, there are no alligator snapping turtles in NJ. There are snapping turtles but they tend to stay away from heavy brackish water. You will be seeing exclusively diamondback terrapins. Watch around mid June to look for females laying their eggs. If you do see any digging nests try to keep a close eye on were they laid as raccoons prey heavily on the eggs.....sometimes even chewing off the females legs as they lay. If you do see any lay on your property I'm building nest protectors out of chicken wire......I could lend you some to protect the eggs from predators if you'd like.

No mocassins in NJ....although if you talk to many south jerseyians they will tell you otherwise.......there are 100% no water mocs though.
 

tugwake

Scout
Sep 15, 2008
62
0
Star, there are no alligator snapping turtles in NJ. There are snapping turtles but they tend to stay away from heavy brackish water. You will be seeing exclusively diamondback terrapins. Watch around mid June to look for females laying their eggs. If you do see any digging nests try to keep a close eye on were they laid as raccoons prey heavily on the eggs.....sometimes even chewing off the females legs as they lay. If you do see any lay on your property I'm building nest protectors out of chicken wire......I could lend you some to protect the eggs from predators if you'd like.

No mocassins in NJ....although if you talk to many south jerseyians they will tell you otherwise.......there are 100% no water mocs though.

Good! Those alligator snapping turtles are funny but quite serious when it comes to hissing and biting. I did make friends with one several years ago but if anyone would come near me, he would take off towards them with his mouth open. :D

I will definitely get in touch with you if I see any of those nests. One animal I am not fond of is a pesky little raccoon having had rabies shots from a bite when I was a kid. Of course, what was in my mind when I picked it up???

Thanks so much for the help.
 

mike242424

Explorer
Feb 17, 2007
251
0
Tabernacle
I was wondering what this turtle was doing and what kind it was? I'm not familiar with their behavior but it looked like it may have been laying eggs. This was about an eighth mile south of speedwell friendship road and the carranza road intersection
 

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Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
8,177
I was wondering what this turtle was doing and what kind it was? I'm not familiar with their behavior but it looked like it may have been laying eggs. This was about an eighth mile south of speedwell friendship road and the carranza road intersection

It is laying eggs as you thought. They love to come to sandy area's and roads are convenient. Here is a photo of one on Carranza Road doing the same thing a few years back.

turtle.JPG


Guy
 
Apr 6, 2004
3,606
551
Galloway
I've dived many stretches of pine barrens rivers but have never come across a shell of a dead slider. This seems strange to me because I'd figure that the river bottom would have its fair share of shells. So my question is where do these turtles go to die?
 

NJChileHead

Explorer
Dec 22, 2011
831
628
I've dived many stretches of pine barrens rivers but have never come across a shell of a dead slider. This seems strange to me because I'd figure that the river bottom would have its fair share of shells. So my question is where do these turtles go to die?

Kind of a weird coincidence as far as timing, but I found the shell of a dead slider today. I also found the shell of a dead slider in October 2014. Both times the shells were on land, today it was about 50 feet from the water, back in October 2014 it was about 10 feet from water. It's likely that they are carried at least some distance by whatever eats them after they die, but not sure if they leave the water voluntarily to die or if they die in the water and are removed by other fauna.
 

CBC

New Member
Mar 7, 2016
11
3
75
Vineland
Star, there are no alligator snapping turtles in NJ. There are snapping turtles but they tend to stay away from heavy brackish water. You will be seeing exclusively diamondback terrapins. Watch around mid June to look for females laying their eggs. If you do see any digging nests try to keep a close eye on were they laid as raccoons prey heavily on the eggs.....sometimes even chewing off the females legs as they lay. If you do see any lay on your property I'm building nest protectors out of chicken wire......I could lend you some to protect the eggs from predators if you'd like.

No mocassins in NJ....although if you talk to many south jerseyians they will tell you otherwise.......there are 100% no water mocs though.
 

CBC

New Member
Mar 7, 2016
11
3
75
Vineland
As I understood it years ago, all water snakes are moccasins but only one cotton mouth moccasin (poisonous). The copperhead is a highland moccasin
 
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