All turtles lay eggs on land, and for many species this requires a lot of hard labor. Many species lay eggs under the cloak of darkness for added protection from predators and reduced heat stress. How many eggs does a turtle lay at a time? Sea turtles lay their eggs on beaches so they can keep their eggs away from predators. They lay their eggs from May through July. So that fish do not eat them this is to ensure that none of the predators in the sea eat the eggs. Western box turtles mate in the spring and fall and lay their eggs in the spring. Snapping turtles, for instance, usually lay their eggs in June. Depending on species, turtles nest at different frequencies. Normally, smaller water turtles lay about 1 to 5 clutches of eggs every breeding season. The mother turtle then returns to the water (if she is an aquatic turtle). Each clutch contains around 10 eggs. Individuals may or may not hibernate. How many eggs do red-eared sliders lay? Nesting beaches are usually in Florida, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Hawaii. A typical clutch has 100 to 200 eggs, and a female can lay several clutches before returning to sea. NIGHTTIME NESTS On top of laying eggs in the same season and place, turtles also nest at a specific time of day. When breeding turtles, knowing how to tell if your turtle is about to lay eggs can help you prepare a nesting area or get the incubator ready. During the egg laying process the mother turtle digs a pit and lays many eggs in a “nest” or byu burrowing them into the sand so that they are hopefully well hidden from predators. The amount of eggs a turtle can lay at a time differs vastly from species to species. Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) nest two to three times per year, while green turtles (Chelonia mydas) do so three to four times a year. Female sea turtles even return to lay their eggs on the same beach where they were born! Eastern box turtles mate from around April to around October, then hibernate from around October or November to April. Green sea turtles mate every two to four years and lay eggs on the same beach used by their mothers.