interesting timing on this post because in wildcat there is a clearing in the lowlands that has been used by box turtles for years as a nesting ground. It is also where the motorcycles like to ride in circles, do donuts, run over my trail markers, and generally scorch the earth. My tendency is to hate the motos for the blatant lack of appreciation for the environment, but at the same time I suspect there is a bit of a symbiotic relationship. The turtles lay the eggs in the berms of the track where it is easy to dig. Had it not been for the disturbance, the area would be grown over and maybe not so easy to dig. After days to weeks, it appears that most eggs are dug up by foxes, raccoons, possums etc as evident from the shrivelled egg casings left behind. The mortality rate is an unknown. Would the nests be better hidden if overgrown, and more survivors? I'm tempted to put up a sign indicating that the area is a turtle nesting site, but deterred as it seems the effort is futile.