How Do Turtles Reproduce. Alligator snapping turtles are able to mate and lay eggs when they are 11 to 13 years old. Every year, from about may to september, nesting female sea turtles emerge from the gulf of mexico to use the beaches of the gulf islands to lay their eggs.

A few weeks after mating, a female green sea turtle arrives on the beach and digs a hole in the ground for her eggs. Their mating ritual consists of biting the female's legs and repeatedly hitting their shell against hers. Turtles reproduce differently depending on the species as the sexual maturity age varies;