They were absolutely shocked! When a turtle wandered into Cortney DiGiovanni’s yard, she thought the creature simply needed a place to rest for the night. The turtle settled comfortably in the garden compost pile that was in the driveway. To make the turtle’s stay more pleasant, DiGiovanni provided food and water, not giving it much further thought.
The next morning, the turtle had disappeared, but she had left something behind for the family to discover.
“We noticed a lot of birds and animals around the pile of dirt,” DiGiovanni shared on TikTok. Curious about the commotion, she took a closer look and discovered that the turtle, whom DiGiovanni’s son named Croissant Boston, had laid 38 eggs in the family’s driveway.
DiGiovanni was flabbergasted that Croissant Boston had taken advantage of her generosity and kindness in such a way. Knowing she couldn’t leave the eggs in the vulnerable driveway, she researched what to do and got to work.
“I gently placed all 38 eggs into a container, working very gently with a paintbrush to avoid damaging the eggs, and kept them in their original orientation to not disturb the embryos,” DiGiovanni explained.
While her son desperately wanted to keep the eggs until they hatched, DiGiovanni knew they would be safer with someone who had the necessary expertise.
“We worked with Megan at Maple House Rescue to incubate the eggs, and we will be back in about 60 days to release them back into their natural habitat with her,” DiGiovanni said.
After ensuring Croissant Boston’s eggs were safe, DiGiovanni and her son headed home, happy that they had given the little family the best chance possible.
“Remember to drive slowly out there because it’s egg-laying season, so you may want to move your piles of dirt sooner rather than later,” DiGiovanni advised.