Not seeing a Scroll to Top Button? Go to our FAQ page for more info.
Home > Turtles > Eastern Box Turtle

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

    Published on October 3rd 2016 by under Turtles. Article was last reviewed on 6th June 2019.

    2 responses to “Eastern Box Turtle”

    1. Trish says:

      I found a box turtle in our yard recently. Today I was digging up some soil and found what I believe to be a turtle egg. I only found one. i have it in a terra cotta pot, buried in dirt. What are the chances that it will hatch? Should I put it back in the ground?

      • staff says:

        Maybe it would be better to put it back where you found it. You can maybe keep an eye out to make sure it’s not attacked by any other animal. Turtles don’t usually lay single eggs, are you sure there weren’t more?

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *