A New Hampshire man is facing charges after officials said he allegedly dug up snapping turtle eggs from a nest, hatched the eggs, and tried to sell the hatchling turtles online.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s law enforcement division in a post on Facebook did not identify the man but said he lived in Hillsborough County.
Police said the man allegedly incubated the eggs until they hatched.
State conservation officers received a tip from a concerned citizen and moved in with help from the Merrimack Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department, and biologists from the fish and game department.
In total, the fish and game department said authorities seized 30 snapping turtle hatchlings and turned them over to a rehabilitation center in Henniker, New Hampshire, where the turtles will be quarantined for 10 days to ensure they did not acquire any diseases while in captivity.
Once the turtles complete their quarantine, officials said they will release the animals back into the wild.
Snapping turtles are widespread in New Hampshire, growing up to 14 inches in length and weighing up to 70 pounds, according to the fish and game department.
The turtles live in various bodies of water and lay between 20 and 40 eggs at a time in various soil, sand, or gravel deposits.
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