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Nominating Organizations Please Use this Column to Provide the Requested General Informa on Information Organiza on & web address Turtle Conservancy www.turtleconservancy.org Contact name (for species info) Nicholas Goode Address 49 Bleecker Street, Suite 601, New York, NY 10012 Email & phone 1 (212) 353-5060 [email protected] Communica ons staff contact name Nicholas Goode Email & phone 1 (212) 353-5060 [email protected] General Species Informa on Common name, genus, and species Common Box Turtle - Terrapene carolina Geographic range Eastern and Central United Sates, Mexico Conserva on status Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and CITES Appendix II Remaining popula on size unknown Report Ques ons Do you have high resolu on 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 Ques ons (Please explain why the species is interes ng, why it ma ers, why decision-makers + the public should care.)
The Common Box Turtle, is a charisma c animal 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 turtles 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 nes ng holes on stormy evenings because of the humidity in Interes ng facts about the species the air. O en these eggs are the product of sperm that can be stored in the female's body for up to four years. These animals have an intense homing ins nct 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 Addi onal background informa on 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 Eastern Box Turtle doesn't completely close un l 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 beau ful with striking yellow pa erns of lines, spots, and blotches. They are opportunis c omnivores feeding on a variety of animal and plant ma er 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 Florida to Maine and as far west as Illinois and Texas, with two to disjunct subspecies in Mexico. Because it has such a wide range, some popula ons are in greater decline than others. The threats are numerous. Habitat destruc on and fragmenta on 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 isola ng popula ons 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 addi on, the interna onal pet trade con nues 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 devasta ng to the Eastern Box Turtle as a species because of its slow reproduc ve/replacement rate.
Is your NGO working to save the species? If yes, Our Chief Scien st, Ross Kiester, works with others on the ecology and conserva on of how? the Gulf Coast Box Turtle (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 legisla on. Being observant when driving on roads and not collec ng 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 tortoise, bog turtle, 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 Ques ons
Describe the specific threat(s) to the species. Detail the current and projected decline of the species. See question #20 Give historic popula on numbers. Cite any substan a ng scien fic studies.
The Eastern Box Turtle is the state reptile 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 poli cal threat. For of its popularity in the international pet trade. We have personally witnessed box instance, is this species being ac vely a acked 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 popula on? Is it a current, eminent, or species' common, there are too many examples of common species we took for future threat? Cite any substan a ng scien fic 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 informa on 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 scien fic 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 substan a ng scien fic 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 par cipa ng in the 2014 Top Ten Report.
Kiester, A. Ross, and Lisabeth L. Willey. "Terrapene Carolina Linnaeus 1758 – Eastern Box Reference: Turtle."