Eastern Box Turtle
Eastern box turtles are one of four subspecies of box turtles occurring in the eastern United States. They are terrestrial, long-lived and slow in reproducing. They derived their name from being able to box up completely inside their shell when alarmed.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Subphylum | Vertebrata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Testudines |
| Family | Emydidae |
| Genus | Terrapene |
| Species | Terrapene carolina |
| Scientific Name | Terrapene carolina carolina |
| Other Names | Box Turtle |
| Size | 4.5 to 6 in; largest specimen recorded is 7.8 in |
| Weight | 1 – 2 lbs |
| Color | Generally brownish or black carapace with yellowish or orangish scattered lines, spots or blotches; usually brown or black skin color with some orange, red, yellow or white spots or irregular lines; some male specimens may have blue blotches on the cheeks, throat and front legs; males generally have red eyes whereas females usually have brown eyes |
| Distribution | Southern Maine, eastern region of the Michigan Upper Peninsula, southern Florida, eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio, Indiana |
| Habitat | Deciduous or mixed forested regions with moist forest floor, bottomland, pastures, open grasslands, under fallen logs or in moist ground |
| Diet | Earthworms, snails, grubs, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, fallen fruit, berries, mushrooms, grasses, flowers, bread, duck weed, carrion |
| Hibernation Fact | Hibernates during winter months |
| Predators | Babies fall prey to coyotes, raccoons, wild pigs, turkeys, skunks, fox, weasels, possums, birds, snakes, cats, dogs, chickens, other Box Turtles |
| Breeding Season | May – October |
| Mode of Reproduction | Oviparous (egg laying) |
| Clutch Size | Around 4 eggs |
| Incubation Period | Around 70 days |
| Reproductive Age | 7 to 10 years of age |
| Average Lifespan | In Wild: 30 to 40 years In captivity : More than 100 years |
| IUCN Conservation Status | Vulnerable |
Eastern Box Turtle Pictures Gallery
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- Eastern Box Turtle Diet
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- Eastern Box Turtle Eggs
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- Eastern Box Turtle Food
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- Eastern Box Turtle Habitat
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- Eastern Box Turtle Hatchling
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- Eastern Box Turtle Pet
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- Eastern Box Turtle Photos
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- Eastern Box Turtle Pictures
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- Eastern Box Turtle Range
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- Eastern Box Turtle
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- Eastern Box Turtles
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- Female Eastern Box Turtle
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- Images of Eastern Box Turtles
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- Male Eastern Box Turtle
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- Pictures of Eastern Box Turtles
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- Terrapene Carolina Carolina
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- The Eastern Box Turtle
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- Baby Eastern Box Turtle
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- Eastern Box Turtle Baby
Published on October 3rd 2016 by staff under Turtles. Article was last reviewed on 13th January 2018.
