About 30 yards or so from the pond. The eggs before hatching would have been about the size of a ping pong ball. The hatched eggs feel like a ping pong ball. The hole is only about 4 or 5 inches deep.

Had fun exploring around the pond with the boys. Found a set of hoof prints around the pond and slightly in it. Fairly large and kind of strange as there are no cows or horses that would come to the pond. Not sure what else would make a print like that.

Hard to know with certainty, but it’s possible some other critter located the clutch and dined on them. That would explain how they got outside of the nest. Usually reptiles egg remains stay where the hatching occurs.

“Found a set of hoof prints around the pond and slightly in it. Fairly large“

How large? Round or cloven?

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:
Hard to know with certainty, but it’s possible some other critter located the clutch and dined on them. That would explain how they got outside of the nest. Usually reptiles egg remains stay where the hatching occurs.

This or the hole was emptied out after the babies hatched.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
“Found a set of hoof prints around the pond and slightly in it. Fairly large“

How large? Round or cloven?

Round, maybe 3.5”-4” across at the widest. Solid all the way across. Like a horse hoof print with no shoe. But no horses would be in the area.

Hog prints

Hogs have cloven hooves.