October 4, 2026: Turtle Time

It's hatching time for turtles in New Hampshire.  Back in June I posted about a snapping turtle nest that had been excavated by a predator to get a high-protein meal of a couple dozen turtle eggs.  Snapping turtle eggs have an incubation period of about 80 to 100 days depending on environmental conditions, so come September, they are ready to hatch.  Most new hatchlings will find their way to the nearest water body and then dig into the bottom where they'll spend the winter hibernating safely below the frost zone.  Some may instead dig down in the dirt under a rotten stump or large fallen tree, but that's a little more risky in a climate as cold as we have in New Hampshire.  

This week a kind Samaritan discovered a tiny snapper hatchling when working on a wood pile in their yard. We don't know if it was just resting on its way to water or whether it was thinking it would try to make it through the winter there, but we agreed it would be better off in a lake or pond, so we helped it find its way into the lake.  But we first captured the cute little guy or gal for the record.

A recently hatched snapping turtle.

It's hard to believe this tiny creature will grow into a monster that can weigh 40 to 60 pounds.  

Whether this turtle hatched as a guy or a gal wasn't determined by its DNA when it was fertilized, but rather by the temperature inside the nest while it was incubating.  Snapping turtles don't have an X-Y chromosome determination like mammals, but rather develop their sex during incubation by the action of enzymes, which are accelerated by temperature, and that drive the quantity of estrogen in the developin

g egg. At nest temperatures below 73 degrees or above 81 degrees, mostly females will develop. [Ref: Embryonic temperature influences juvenile temperature choice and growth rate in snapping turtles Chelydra serpentina, O'Steen, 1994]   Temperatures between that range will produce mostly males.  But temperature may not be uniform across the nest, so a single nest may well result in hatchlings of both sexes.  

It will be several years before even an expert would be able to determine the six of this new turtle.

It's nice to know there are people (thank you Ursula!) that will to make the extra effort to take care of the smallest of nature's creations.

Last week's milk snake and this week's snapping turtle are examples of reptiles getting ready for winter.  I also found this nice plump toad that has fattened up on bugs and slugs all summer (toads are great to have in your yard) to be ready for a long winter nap. 

American Toad

Toads must dig down deep enough in loose soil to get completely below the frost line to survive winter.  Digging under brush piles is a common method because the brush pile provides extra insulation above the ground.  A brush pile, as well a a compost pile, is a valuable feature to have in every yard.  Under large fallen trees and boulders are prime locations for hibernation too.

On a hike north of the notches this week with four good hiking buddies (all four are in the picture below) we found that the foliage was just about at peak that far north, with leaves already starting to fall.

Four great hiking companions at the summit of Owl's Head.

Maple leaves blanket the Cherry Mountain Trail in a multi-colored carpet.

A stand of Yellow Birch and Sugar Maple on Mt. Martha.

At the summit of both Mt. Martha and Owl's Head, Mountain Ash was in full fruit mode with loads of a plump ripe berries.

American Mountain Ash

We wondered if these berries are edible.  According to Wikipedia, the parasorbic acid they contain is harmful to humans, but if they are cooked or frozen, the acid is reduced and they can be used for jams, syrup, chutney, and even wine.

There are mountain ash in the Lakes Region, with a large stand at the summit of Mt. Roberts in the Ossipee Range.  It's also looking like a good year for apples in the Lakes Region.

Apple tree along Chemung Rd.

And at Page Pond Town Forest.

I tried a few and they were pretty good.

Apples are appreciated by many animals including bear, fox, and deer.  Perhaps this buck walking down our road was heading towards those apples on Chemung Rd.

Foliage here in the Lakes Region is still developing, with only the maples near the lake showing strong color, but this should be the week for foliage viewing around Wicwas and the other lakes in the region.

I'll end this week with another reptile I came across just yesterday, this time a Ring-neck Snake sunning itself in the old log yard along the Yellow Trail at the Hamlin Town Forest.

Just one more animal - like the rest of us - savoring every last warm day here in October.