These Map Turtle eggs are on a bank along the Big Piney River. All turtles lay eggs on land .
All turtles lay eggs on land.
Females are particular about where they lay and bury their eggs and may travel long distances overland to find a suitable location. Most turtles select well drained, sandy or loose soil to deposit their eggs, and the site usually faces south or southeast. Other species lay soft, leathery-shelled eggs with a proportionately lower amount of calcium in the shell. All the rest lay elongated eggs. Turtle eggs either hatch in late summer or early fall, or the young turtles may remain in the egg or nest all winter and emerge in the spring.