Eastern Box: Terrapene carolina carolina
In the Wild
Description:
 Has a brownish-black shell that is spotted or streaked with yellow or orange
 Can be sexually dimorphic – males and females can be distinguished by differences in
size and other physical traits
o Males are slightly larger than females and have thicker, longer tails
o Males have bright red eyes; females have yellowish-brown eyes
o Males have short, thick, curved rear claws while females have longer, straighter,
and more slender rear claws
o Individuals vary in color and appearance, so sex can be difficult to determine
Habitat and Range:
 Eastern box turtle, T. carolina carolina, inhabits the eastern and central United States
from southern Maine to Florida and west into Michigan, Illinois, eastern Kansas,
Oklahoma and Texas
 Box turtles prefer habitat from open fields to wooded or marshy areas, preferably with a
lot of leaf cover. They are often seen in backyards, pen woodlands, pastures and
marshy meadows.
 There are six species of box turtle, 4 are native to the U.S. and 2 are native to Mexico
Diet
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Omnivorous: Eat snails, insects, berries, carrion, fungi, slugs, worms, roots, flowers, fish,
frogs, snakes, salamanders, birds and eggs
Young are primarily carnivorous, adults are primarily herbivorous
Adaptations
 Bridgeless, hinged plastron (lower shell) allows the turtle to close their shells almost
completely
 Like other turtles, shell provides protection from predators
Lifespan
 In the wild: Unknown
 In captivity: Typically 30-40 years, can live up to 100
Ecosystem relationships
 Many animals predate on the eggs and the young
 Adults have very few predators, thanks to the protection of the shell
Reproduction
 It can take a female box turtle at least 5 years, and possibly a full decade, to reach
sexual maturity
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Eastern Box: Terrapene carolina carolina
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Breeding may or may not happen depending on whether a female’s home territory
(which she won’t leave) happens to overlap with a male’s home territory (which he
won’t leave)
Eggs are few in number and may include some infertile ones
Hatchlings are extremely vulnerable to predation and few if any will make it to
adulthood
Box turtle mating season begins in the spring and continues through the summer
A male may mate with the same female several years in a row, or with several females,
depending on availability
Females can lay fertile eggs up to 4 years after a successful mating
Females make their nests in the leaf litter and lay 3-8 eggs per clutch
Incubation lasts about three months
Temperature determines the sex of the young. If eggs are incubated in a temperature
range of 72-81 degrees Fahrenheit, the hatchlings will be male. If the incubation
temperature is 82 degrees or above, the hatchlings will be female.
Activity
 Diurnal
 Box turtles are active during the warmer months. They may stay hidden during the
hottest part of the day but are still active during daylight hours.
 Box turtles hibernate through the winter. They take shelter by burrowing up to two feet
deep in dirt, mud, stream bottoms, stump holes or mammal burrows. A winter
hibernation burrow is called a hibernacula. One or more box turtles may share the
same hibernacula.
Other “fun facts”
 Most box turtles spend their entire lives – which can be up to 100 years! – within 250
yards of the nests where they were born
o A box turtle makes a mental map of its home territory and knows exactly where
to find food throughout the year
o If removed from its home territory, it will make every effort to return. It
probably will succeed if moved less than a mile or two away, but probably will
not if moved further, although it may try for years.
 Home ranges often overlap and box turtles are not aggressively territorial. They are
often found in groups and tolerate others in their territory without displaying
aggression.
Conservation Status and Threats:
 Box turtles are not considered threatened or endangered nationally, although some
states list them as a species of special concern
 Eastern box turtles are scarce in parts of their range because of habitat loss, collisions
with cars and over-collection for the pet trade
 In Maryland, it is illegal to take box turtles out of the wild in order to sell them as pets
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Eastern Box: Terrapene carolina carolina
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Listed as Near Threatened – populations are declining in some areas as a result of
habitat loss and fragmentation, collisions with cars and over-collection for the pet trade
Given the odds against reproductive success for box turtles, it is important to the longterm viability of any local population to leave it intact and not remove any adults
At the Zoo
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Raphael was confiscated by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and
acquired by the Animal Embassy in 1998 from the Reptile House
His age and previous history are unknown
What We Can Do
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Never remove a turtle from the wild
Never return a pet or rescued turtle to the wild without first contacting the Maryland
Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Never relocate a turtle in the wild, unless you see one trying to cross a road – you can
help a turtle cross a road only if you can do so safely, and be sure to point it in the same
direction that it was headed
Educate friends and family about the importance of observing – but not touching,
disturbing or collecting – turtles in the wild
When visiting wetlands, tread lightly and stay on designated paths
Use pesticides and other hazardous materials sparingly and dispose of them properly to
ensure that they do not end up in waterways
Make environmentally responsible lifestyle decisions to help conserve habitat –
conserve energy, reduce litter and pollution
Do your research before buying a pet
o Make sure you are not purchasing a wild-caught individual. Captive-bred turtle
species are often easy to find.
o Make sure you know how to properly care for any animal before you decide to
buy it as a pet
 Some things to consider include adequate housing, diet, temperature
requirements and lifespan
 Some pets also require a lot of time and money to be properly cared for
References:
 www.marylandzoo.org
 www.natureserve.org
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