Final answer:
The only difficulty in 'gathering' a turtle relates to the dangers hatchlings face during their journey from the nest to the water where predators are a significant threat.
Step-by-step explanation:
The only difficulty in gathering a turtle relates to their reproductive process. Turtles lay their eggs on land after internal fertilization. A female turtle will deposit a large number of eggs into holes she digs in the mud or sand. These eggs, being slightly soft and leathery, are then covered and left to incubate independently. As turtles cannot breathe underwater, they lay their eggs on land where they won’t be at risk of drowning.
The most perilous time for a hatchling is the journey from the nest to the water. This is when they are most vulnerable to predators like seabirds, crabs, and raccoons. Turtles, being members of the clade Testudines known for their distinctive shell, find protection against some threats, but as hatchlings, they must reach the water as fast as possible for their survival. The hatchlings, like the loggerhead sea turtles, know instinctively how to reach the ocean and how to swim, but this trek across the sand is fraught with danger.