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Nominating Organizations Please Use this Column to Provide the Requested General Informaon Information Organizaon & web address Conservancy www.turtleconservancy.org Contact name (for info) Nicholas Goode Address 49 Bleecker Street, Suite 601, New York, NY 10012 Email & phone 1 (212) 353-5060 [email protected] Communicaons staff contact name Nicholas Goode Email & phone 1 (212) 353-5060 [email protected] General Species Informaon Common name, , and species Common - Terrapene carolina Geographic range Eastern and Central United Sates, Mexico Conservaon status Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and CITES Appendix II Remaining populaon size unknown Report Quesons Do you have high resoluon photos that can be used in the report? yes Will you want printed reports? If so how many? 250 If your species is selected, will you use the report as a tool to organize around the species and/or publicize its plight? yes Public Engagement Quesons (Please explain why the species is interesng, why it maers, why decision-makers + the public should care.)

The Common Box Turtle, is a charismac that always lets us close enough to study its striking features, such as the males red or orange eyes and the warm hues that decorate their carapaces. These can be known to consume poisonous mushrooms and the toxins remain in their bodies making them toxic for periods of me. Females are known to dig nesng holes on stormy evenings because of the humidity in Interesng facts about the species the air. Oen these eggs are the product of sperm that can be stored in the female's body for up to four years. These have an intense homing insnct making it dangerous for them to be moved. They will do what they can to return to their home, which could mean trying to cross busy roads. Eastern Box turtles have a very long life span, we don't know for sure how long they can live, but one individual has the date 1878 carved on its carapace. Other specimens have been recorded at 130 to 150 years old. 000000ESC America's Top 10

The Common Box Turtle can live well past 100 years old. They reach sexual maturity at six or seven years of age and they usually produce one small clutch of eggs per year. They inhabit a wide range of habitats across the eastern United States from heavily Addional background informaon to complete the wooded areas to open grasslands, but the prefer a mix of these habitats. They have a species profile in the report domed carapace and hinged plastron allowing for complete shell closure, hence the name "box" turtle. The box on an doesn't completely close unl the animal reaches full maturity around age seven leaving the animals very vulnerable as youngsters. This closing mechanism helps them hibernate in the winter and protects them from predators such as skunks and raccoons. They can be quite beauful with striking yellow paerns of lines, spots, and blotches. They are opportunisc omnivores feeding on a variety of animal and plant maer depending on what is available.

Although it is known as the "Common" Box Turtle it is becoming increasingly rare. This turtle has a very wide range in the eastern United States. It can be found all along the eastern coast, from to Maine and as far west as Illinois and , with two to disjunct in Mexico. Because it has such a wide range, some populaons are in greater decline than others. The threats are numerous. Habitat destrucon and fragmentaon due to agriculture and urban development are a problem. The roadway What are the most important messages that should infrastructure that accompanies this development is a major problem. Turtles are in be communicated about this species' decline? constant danger of being killed on roads which has become a huge problem most areas. Roads also break up and fragment the species habitat isolang populaons and causing a myriad of problems. At certain mes large numbers of the species are collected from the wild for "Turtle Races". These events are very stressful to the animals, and when the events are over they are not returned to their habitat. In addion, the internaonal pet trade connues to be a threat. There is also a virus called Ranavirus which has become more wide spread that effects 20 species of amphibians and turtles. These threats are devastang to the Eastern Box Turtle as a species because of its slow reproducve/replacement rate.

Is your NGO working to save the species? If yes, Our Chief Scienst, Ross Kiester, works with others on the ecology and conservaon of how? the (Terrapene carolina major). This is the least common of the subspecies. 000000ESC America's Top 10

How can individuals help? Please be as specific as Individuals can help by being conscious and aware of their surroundings and of the possible. species they may have in their backyards. If people are more aware on a local level they can in turn drive change in their governments legislaon. Being observant when driving on roads and not collecng animals from the wild can help a great deal.

The Common Box Turtle is a vanishing species across much of its range, but it is often not recognized as such, so raising awareness around this species is a good thing. The Common Box Turtle does not have a high- profile in federal or state legislation. Unlike like desert , , and even spotted turtles and wood turtles, the Eastern Box Turtle is not being highlighted as a species in need of legislative protection. That said, the Eastern Box Turtle is widespread and minimal effort to raise awareness Is there anything else that governments or others around its decline could push the species into receiving a higher-level of could/should/are doing to save the species? protective regulations. Criteria-Specific Quesons

Describe the specific threat(s) to the species. Detail the current and projected decline of the species. See question #20 Give historic populaon numbers. Cite any substanang scienfic studies.

The Eastern Box Turtle is the state of North Carolina hence its scientific name. Coincidentally this is the only state in the US where it is still legal to harvest the species from the wild. This is a major threat to the species because Indicate if there is an associated polical threat. For of its popularity in the international pet trade. We have personally witnessed box instance, is this species being acvely aacked by turtles and other US species in markets an pet stores across Asia. Often these an industry group or member of Congress? species are collected from states where it is illegal and then purported to be from legal states. State and federal governments need to work on implementing stronger legislation for the species and actually enforcing current laws. 000000ESC America's Top 10

The threats to the species are current threats that will most likely evolve and get Outline and describe the extent of the threat. For worse in the future if changes are not made now. In addition the threats are instance, is it threatening the only habitat of a small widespread and affect the species throughout its range. Let's keep common remaining populaon? Is it a current, eminent, or species' common, there are too many examples of common species we took for future threat? Cite any substanang scienfic granted that either went extinct or are on the brink. Such as the American Bison, studies. Passenger Pigeon, Atlantic Cod, and others.

Judge's score for severity and extent of threat. Provide informaon on the benefits the species The species, like most, is important to its ecosystem and can be considered a provides, such as economic, medicinal, or representation of the health of the area, especially because of its longevity. ecosystem services.

Detail the ecological and scienfic importance of the species. Note if it is a keystone species and The Common Box Turtle is not specifically a keystone species but there have describe the extent of its role in the biodiversity of been recent papers that may suggest it is important as a seed disperser. its environment. Cite any substanang scienfic studies.

Could the species be considered an "ambassador" which can be used to communicate the threats that Yes, this species could deffinetly be an ambassador species. There are many are occurring broadly to a group of species or an turtle species native to the United States that are in trouble and the Common ecosystem? (An example would be a frog that Box Turtle could represent the direction many other species have gone. The represents the decline of amphibians. Or a FL Common Box Turtle is such a beautiful and charismatic soecies that the public species that represents the decline of the Florida could rall behind. Keys.) If yes, please detail how it is an ambassador and name the other species being represented. Judge’s score for importance of species. Final Judge's Score 0

Please submit to Nancy Welch at [email protected] by April 4th. Thank you for parcipang in the 2014 Top Ten Report.

Kiester, A. Ross, and Lisabeth L. Willey. "Terrapene Carolina Linnaeus 1758 – Eastern Box Reference: Turtle."