20 New Turtles Begin Hatching! A first for NCWC!

We are thrilled to share a heartwarming first for our team—our very first snapping turtle eggs have started hatching!

These 20 eggs, laid by a wild snapping turtle patient we admitted months ago after being hit by a car near Brighton, Colorado, have been carefully incubated by our team for months, and now we are witnessing the incredible moment of new life.

The mother, after receiving care for her injuries, laid these eggs a few weeks into her rehabilitation. Following the snapping turtle’s natural history, where parents do not remain with their eggs, our team removed the eggs to allow her to focus on recovery. Since then, we’ve been nurturing and incubating the eggs with care, and now we’re beyond excited to see the first hatchlings emerge!

Check out this video for a close-up of the magic—jump to the 1:05 mark to see the hatching in action! You’ll not only catch a glimpse of the newborns but also witness the incredible moment of a snapping turtle hatching.

This hatching process can take time, so stay tuned for more updates, and of course, we’ll be sharing more adorable baby turtle photos! Once ready, all of the baby snapping turtles that hatch will eventually be released back into the wild, returning to the same area where we released their mother several months ago. 🐢💚