unidentified eggs
Posted by Leighton Woodfin on June 20, 2008
Q: This afternoon my 9 yo found 8 small eggs buried about 1 in under some mulch. They are white and leathery; they are the size of gourmet jelly beans and soft. We live in a wooded area and see a fair amounts of snakes - black snakes as well as copperheads. We also have lots of frogs and chameleons around our house. Any idea what type of eggs they might be? How would we know if and when they are going to hatch? Can we put them in an aquarium and wait for them to hatch or should we just leave them alone? Thanks!
State: South Carolina
Habitat: suburban/yard
A: From your description, I can't tell exactly what kind of eggs these are, but they're certainly some kind of reptile egg. My guess is that they're lizard eggs but could be from a snake. Removing the eggs probably will result in their not hatching - hard to replicate natural conditions necessary for hatching. But...I would keep a close lookout at that spot and see what does hatch. I suppose you could put some kind of barrier around that location to restrain the hatchlings but that may attract a predator. Guess I'd just leave things alone but keep a close watch. No telling how long it will take for them to hatch since you don't know when they were laid. Copperheads give birth to live young so these are definitely NOT dangerous animals, whatever they are. Hope this helps.
John Wiessinger ( June 21, 2008)