A magical sight was captured on camera last night when a family was out for their evening walk.
Maya, age 10, captured a Western Painted Turtle laying eggs in Kelowna’s Wilden community, beside the Cattail pond.
The Painted Turtle is considered an endangered species by the Government of Canada and is threatened by developments, wetland destruction, human disturbance and predators.
The turtles dig a nest in the spring, and can lay up to 18 eggs at a time. The eggs hatch in the late summer or early fall, after a 70-80 day incubation period but stay snuggled in their nest over the winter, emerging in the spring.
Some predators, like skunks, like to snack on turtle eggs and will dig up nests.
READ MORE: Kelowna woman fined for possession and sale of endangered turtle
READ MORE: Man caught snatching endangered turtles from Kelowna pond
@Rangers_mom
Jacqueline.Gelineau@kelownacapnews.com
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