Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina) A Presentation By: Nicole Routon And Shelby Packer Characteristics • Has a colorful domed shell • Usually yellow to orange in color • Small to Medium sized • Bottom of the turtle shell can be yellow, black, or brown • It can completely box itself in due to a hinge in its shell Turtles Vs. Tortoises Turtles Lives in or near water Tortoises Lives in an arid environment Can breath underwater Stores water since it lives in desert regions Swims Adapted to walk on sand and rocky land Omnivore Herbivore Where Are Box Turtles Located? • Covers much of the eastern and central U.S. • They are more common in the southern half of Indiana Where Can I Find Them? • Grasslands • Wet areas • Forests What They Eat • • • • • • • Fruits Berries Worms Slugs Insects Mushrooms Carrion What They Eat • Ever wonder how they catch their food? Check below: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSZxROQ GjZw Predators • • • • • • • • Racoons Skunks Coyotes Dogs Ants Crows Snakes Hogs Lifespan • Long lived creatures • Documented to exceed 60 years • Some may reach over 100 years Box Turtle Population • On the decline • Why? – Habitat destruction – Capture for pets • Now protected in Indiana • May not be collected or sold. References • What is the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-isthe-difference-between-a-turtle-and-a-tortoise.htm • Baby box turtles eating crickets, mynewturtle.com [Web]. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSZxROQGjZw • The eastern box turtle (terrapene carolina). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/research/C ontribute/box turtle/boxinfo.htm