Those Aren’t Rocks! Be Careful This Fall In Minnesota

I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I saw a strange photo that looked like a bunch of rocks on the grass. They resemble charcoal briquettes, like you use when you're grilling. But they are actually precious.

If you look closer, you can see that they actually have a tail! Those aren't rocks, they are turtles! Minnesota Fish & Wildlife shared a post on social media sharing the lucky find by one of their workers. They happened to notice the turtles hatching and took some photos. They also urge you to leave wildlife wild and let these turtles continue on their way.

This spring, we had a lot of turtle activity due to the amount of rainfall we had. I saw more turtles this last year than ever before. (Especially on the golf course.) Many female turtles cross roadways each year to find a place for nesting and to lay their eggs. Now, those eggs are hatching!

Read More: Minnesota Has Strange Turtle Regulations For Hunting & Possession

These are snapping turtles, and when they grow up, they'll be pretty big! Adult snapping turtles have shell lengths of anywhere from 8 to 14 inches. Snapping turtles live to be 30 years, and can live even longer in captivity.

Snapping turtles lay 25-50 eggs in their nesting area. About half of those are eaten by other animals, but because snapping turtles live a long time, it doesn't take many to survive to keep the population stable, according to the Minnesota Zoo.

Get our free mobile app