Eastern Box Turtle

Terrapene carolina carolina

The eastern box turtle lives on land and has a highly domed carapace, or shell, that can be tan, brown, olive or black in color. Adults have:

• A hinged, brown or olive plastron (the underside of the shell) with black markings.
• Four toes on each back foot.

Male box turtles have enlarged claws, a concave plastron and red eyes. Females have a flat plastron with convex edges, and their eyes can be grayish, yellow or dark red.

Box turtles grow to about 4.5 to 6 inches. Males tend to be larger than females.

Where does the eastern box turtle live?

Box turtles can be found in many different habitats, including woodlands, meadows and wetlands with good cover. Most develop a home range that varies from 5 to 12 acres.

• Box turtles spend their days foraging, exploring and mating (during mating season only). At dusk they rest in shallow beds of soil or leaves.
• In summer, box turtles tend to cut down on mid-day activity because their bodies do not tolerate high temperatures.
• Box turtles hibernate during winter, though in the Mid-Atlantic some may remain semi-active throughout the season.

What does the eastern box turtle eat?

Box turtles feed on grasses, leaves, fungus, insects, crustaceans, berries, slugs, snails and earthworms.

How does the eastern box turtle reproduce?

Box turtles reach maturity at 4 or 5 years old. In spring, after coming out of hibernation, the turtles begin their courtship and mating rituals.

• Mating takes place after a complicated series of courtship steps.
• Before laying her eggs, the female box turtle digs a shallow nest in loose soil. She lays three to eight eggs into the nest, then fills it with leaf litter. Females may lay several clutches of eggs per year.
• Eggs are incubated for 75 to 90 days, depending on the weather.
• Box turtle hatchlings are tiny and grayish-colored. They stay out of sight as much as possible to avoid predators.

Other facts about the eastern box turtle:

• Box turtles can live to 30 to 40 years, with some reported to reach 100 years old.
• When disturbed or provoked, box turtles will draw their legs, tail and head into their shell.
• If you remove or relocate a box turtle found in the wild, you may be separating it from its territory. It will make sometimes extreme attempts to return home. As with most other animals found in their native habitats, the best option is to leave turtles alone. If you see one trying to cross a street, help it along its way, then move on.