Eastern Box Turtle Natural History

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Eastern Box Turtle Terrapene carolina carolina Natural History Description: Eastern box turtles are characterized by their dome shells which can close tightly to avoid predators by using a hinge at the bottom of their shell. They have slightly webbed feet, four toes on their hind feet and a slight hook on their upper jaw. Shell color and skin color vary between brownish or black with yellow or orange lines, spots or blotches. Vocalizations: Box turtles can vocalize but do not do it very often. They may vocalize to get attention as babies or during mating. A “hissing” sound is produced when they breathe. Breeding: Sexual maturity isn’t reached until 5 and 7 years for these turtles. The mating season begins in May and occurs until October. Males usually mate with the same female over several years or multiple females. Females may have more than one batch of eggs and the average nest size is between 3 and 8. Incubation lasts 2 to 3 months and the sex of the eggs is largely dependent on the temperature the eggs are kept at. Distribution: Box turtles in general are found all over North America but the Eastern box turtle is primarily found mainly on the eastern part of the United States. Their distribution stretches from southern Canada as far west as Illinois or Michigan and as far south as Texas in some cases. Habitat: They prefer habitat with mixed forest with the floor of the forest slightly moist. They are terrestrial turtles and only visit shallow water when its too hot. Diet: Box turtles are considered omnivores and eat small animals including fish, frogs, worms, snakes, insects, and birds as well as plant matter such as berries, fungi, roots and flowers. During the first 5-6 years, they are primarily carnivorous and as they age, they become primarily herbivorous. Lifespan: While in the wild, some Eastern box turtles may live anywhere between 40 and 50 years old. The oldest Eastern box turtle in captivity was recorded at 100 years old. Conservation Status: These turtles are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and are considered “special concern” in Michigan and Ohio. Although widely distributed, the population is declining. Photo Credit By Savannah River Ecology Laboratory .

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Box Turtles July 2017
The HERP Project, Herpetology Education in Rural Places and Spaces In Awe of Nature: Treasuring Terrestrial Turtles By Ann Berry Somers, Catherine Matthews, and Lacey Huffling The Herp Project is supported by the National Science Foundation, Grant No. DRL-1114558. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Treasuring Terrestrial Turtles Before starting a project like the one described in this curriculum, contact your state wildlife resources commission or state division of fish and game to see what permits you need to work with box turtles. I. Project Description This curriculum was developed by The HERP (Herpetology Education in Rural Places and Spaces) Project to introduce participants to the wonders of nature and science through the study of box turtles (Terrapene spp.). The curriculum was developed over several years of working with high school students in our Herpetological Research Experience (HRE) residential program. Feel free to modify this curriculum as needed. In our program, participants are introduced to turtle biology as well as to The Box Turtle Connection (BTC), our long-term mark/recapture box turtle study in North Carolina. The BTC is designed to follow temporal trends in population size and structure (sex, age class) as well as the health and condition of individual box turtles from numerous sites across North Carolina. The data collected are important to help scientists determine if box turtles need special conservation measures to maintain their populations and thrive in their natural habitat. Our box turtle studies are enhanced by use of Boykin Spaniel dogs to locate and retrieve box turtles and use of radio tracking to determine activity ranges for male and female box turtles.
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Eastern Box Turtle
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Wood Turtle Observation Form with Accompanying Photos Completed and Emailed to John (J.D.) Kleopfer at [email protected] Within 72 Hours
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Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene Carolina)
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Terrapene Carolina (Linnaeus 1758) – Eastern Box Turtle, Common Box Turtle
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