![]() ![]() The suggestion made it through one house of the legislature, but failed to win a final naming in 2009.Įastern box turtles prefer deciduous forests and mixed forests. Pennsylvania almost made the eastern box turtle their official state reptile.“The turtle watches undisturbed as countless generations of faster ‘hares’ run by to quick oblivion, and is thus a model of patience for mankind, and a symbol of our State’s unrelenting pursuit of great and lofty goals.” The eastern box turtle is the official state reptile of both North Carolina and Tennessee.In the north where the climate is colder, this subspecies is normally limited to regions below 1,000 feet above sea level. In the southern parts of their range, eastern box turtles are found up to 6,000 feet in elevation. ![]() They are present in the Great Lakes region, but they are rare there and typically limited to areas far away from busy roads. They are found all the way from southern Florida in the south to southern Main and the southern and eastern parts of the Michigan Upper Peninsula in the north. Have you found an injured turtle in the North Mecklenburg Area? Carolina Veterinary Specialists may be able to help.The eastern box turtle lives in the eastern United States, from eastern Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas to the Atlantic Ocean. Rather – if it is safe – move the box turtle to the side of the road. A box turtle released away from its home range will often wander until it dies. If you find a box turtle on the road, do not take it home with you and release it. Box turtles also possess a homing instinct. Because they take so long to mature, it is hard for box turtle populations to recover from these pressures. ![]() They also suffer from collection as pets. They are very susceptible to habitat fragmentation, and road-related mortality. Miscellaneous: Eastern box turtles are declining over much of their range. Hatchling box turtles measure only 1.25 inches (3 cm) in length. Once mature, a female box turtle will lay between 3 and 6 eggs each spring in a shallow nest which hatch in late summer or early fall. Reproduction: Eastern box turtles mature slowly, reaching sexual maturity between 7 and 10 years of age. They do not travel far, usually living within an area less than 200 meters in diameter. Although they can live in a variety of habitats, they prefer moist forested areas with large amounts of underbrush. Habitat/Range: Box turtles live in a wide variety of habitats from forested areas to dry grassy meadows to swamps and sandhills. If it feels threatened, eastern box turtle can close itself completely within its shell. They are active during the day (diurnal), particularly after rains. As they mature their diet shifts from primarily animals towards one that includes more plant material.Īctivity/Behavior: The eastern box turtle is the only fully terrestrial turtle encountered in North Carolina. They will eat almost anything that they can fit in their mouths including worms, insects, fruit and berries, mushrooms, and carrion – among other food items. Finally, the plastron of male box turtles is concave while the female’s is not.įeeding/Diet: Eastern box turtles are omnivores. Females possess a more highly domed carapace. Males usually possess red eyes, while the eyes of a female are usually brown. Females can be distinguished from males based off several characteristics. Coloration and amount of pattern are variable, but the carapace is usually brown with a orange or yellow pattern. While mud and musk turtles also possess hinged plastrons, box turtles are the only species which can shut their plastron completely. They have a hinged plastron (bottom of shell). Description: Eastern box turtles are small to medium sized turtles, attaining a maximum length of 8 inches (20 cm) and possessing a highly domed carapace (top of shell).
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