Snappers lay over 40 eggs for a reason…most never hatch.  With foxes, raccoons, snakes, bugs and floods only a few eggs will hatch and those that do have to find their way to the safety of the water.  On land the babies are the size of double stuffed Oreo cookies and crawl slowly towards the water hoping to again avoid predators.  Once in the water they have the chance to hide in aquatic vegetation and mud but still must watch out for large mouth bass and other fish and wading birds that would try to gobble them up whole.

Mama Snapper looking for an upland egg laying location.

Snapper eggs raided by predator