They attempt to bite, but it is easy to avoid their jaws when properly handling this species. Male stinkpots mature at four to seven years of age and females at nine to eleven. Stinkpots mature at the higher end of these times in the northern parts of their range. Most mating activity occurs in spring, but there is evidence that stinkpots will sometimes mate in the fall and females will store sperm until ovulation in the spring. Females nest in June or July.
Females select sandy sites to dig nests.
Some specimens choose sunny areas while others may choose nests in the shade. This may be an evolutionary selection to balance the sex ratio. Males are produced at mainly lower temperatures and females at higher temperatures. Females normal clutch size varies from 2 to 5 eggs, however, workers finding higher clutch sizes and several nests close together indicates the possibility of communal nesting, at least in some populations. Average hatching times occur in August and September.