Painted turtle eggs

Question
Hi Amanda.  About 55 days ago, as I was riding my bike, I noticed a painted turtle laying her eggs on the side of the road in our woods.  She dug her hole actually out in a tire track.  I placed a stump in the road by the eggs so that any car coming down the road would swerve around the spot, but you guessed it...the County came by and moved the stump one day while I was gone, and drove right over the area with the eggs.  So I decided to dig them up and put them in a safe place.  I used the same sand as in the road, and filled a large container about 1/3 full (4 inches).  I then dug the eggs up carefully and placed them on the sand, covering with the same dirt to the same depth as the eggs were.  Now I am told by a (not so expert) that if I did not lay the eggs exactly as she had dropped them...if I rotated them or placed them in upside down that they will not hatch.  Is this true?  I have the container in a wheel barrow and wheel them out of the garage every morning into the natural sunlight.  I put them out a few times during rain just for 5 minutes or so...etc.,etc.,  I feel like an expectant mother, but don't want to be disappointed!

Thanks for your help!

Answer
Vickie,

There is a chance that by moving the eggs you compromised their viability.  However, there is also a chance that if you left them where they were the babies would be squished - if not in the eggs then when they were hatching!

As long as you wheel them carefully I don't see why you should stop trying to hatch them.  It feels to me like they still have a chance - I'm sure you moved the eggs fairly carefully.  It's also great that you know when they were layed because that gives us an idea of when to expect them.  You may already know but it's about 76 days on average.

You might be disappointed but maybe you can take solice in knowing that 1) you are building up valuable good karma that may help you win the lottery (joking) 2) you may have gained valuable egg-rescuing experience that you may need in the future - like if other mother turtles decide to lay their eggs in the tracks of death.  :)


I would LOVE to know if they hatck or not... best of luck!!!

-Amanda