Desert box turtle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Desert box turtle |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Cryptodira |
| Family: | Emydidae |
| Genus: | Terrapene |
| Species: | |
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T. o. luteola
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| Trinomial name | |
| Terrapene ornata luteola H.M. Smith & Ramsey, 1952
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The desert box turtle, also called the Sonoran box turtle, is a special kind of box turtle. You can find it only in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. These turtles mostly live on land. They are famous for their strong, box-like shell. Desert box turtles are most active from late June or early July until early October. They are busiest during July and August.
Contents
What Makes Them Special?
The most noticeable thing about box turtles is their strong, box-shaped shell. This shell is made of bony plates called scutes. These scutes cover the top part of the shell, which is called the carapace. The scutes make the shell very strong and give the turtle its unique look.
Unlike other turtles, the bones in a box turtle's shell are fused together. Their ribs and backbone are actually part of their shell!
A cool feature is that the box turtle can close its shell very tightly. It has a special hinge on its bottom shell, called the plastron. This hinge lets the plastron move upward. It fits snugly against the carapace, sealing the turtle safely inside (Figure 1).
Other things to know about them:
- They have a yellow line down the middle of their top shell.
- Their bottom shell is solid brown with yellow spots.
- Their head and legs have mottled (mixed) colors.
- Some male turtles can have a completely green head.
- Their colors are usually dull. This helps them camouflage in the desert.
- Older turtles are lighter and more muted than young ones.
- Most, but not all, male turtles have red eyes.
Male box turtles also have a slightly curved-in bottom shell. Their tails are thicker, and the cloaca (a body opening) is closer to the tail tip. They also have longer back legs with bigger, curved claws. These claws help them hold onto the female during mating.
Most adult desert box turtles have a top shell about 12.5 to 13 centimeters long. Female turtles are usually a bit longer than males. These turtles can live for a long time, often between 30 and 40 years!
Where Do They Live?
The desert box turtle lives across the central plains of North America. Their range goes west to the Rocky Mountains and south into northern Mexico and South Texas. You can often find them in the southwestern U.S. This includes New Mexico and parts of Texas like the "Big Bend" area. They are also in southeastern Arizona and south into Sonora and Chihuahua in Mexico.
These turtles usually stay in small areas. They are very loyal to their home. This means they will always try to return to where they came from.
Their Home Environment
Desert box turtles are found only in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. They live in desert grasslands and shrublands. This means they deal with drier, tougher conditions than other box turtles. They prefer dry, open grassy areas. But they have also been seen in grasslands with lots of yucca plants. They like small, clear areas where they know their surroundings well. This includes where to find food, shelter, and places to sleep for the winter.
Breeding Spots
Desert box turtles usually prefer wet springs. More eggs are laid when there is more rain. In dry springs, fewer females lay eggs. Spring rains can make more females lay eggs in the summer. If springs are very dry, turtles might not lay any eggs at all. Because of dry seasons, how desert box turtles grow and reproduce can be different from turtles in central North America.
Winter Sleep
Desert box turtles hibernate in the winter. They can naturally handle freezing temperatures. This is because their activity is greatly affected by air temperature and weather. They start their winter sleep around November. It lasts until late May or early June.
They usually hibernate when temperatures are between 1 and 15 degrees Celsius. Desert box turtles have special spots to spend the winter. These spots are usually close to their home range. They dig themselves into the ground about 35 centimeters deep. Their hind end might stick out a bit. They stay buried until the temperature rises. They also wait for things like warmer ground, rain, and moist soil. They stay dormant for about five months before coming out and becoming active again.
How They Reproduce
The activity of desert box turtles, like mating or laying eggs, depends on the air temperature. It does not depend on rain. Male desert box turtles are usually ready to mate when they are 8 to 9 years old. But in zoos, they have been known to breed as young as 2 years old. Females usually need to be 10 to 11 years old to start breeding.
Their breeding season is from March to May. Nesting sites are chosen from May to July. Males are ready to mate from when they wake up from hibernation until September or October. Males often fight with other males to find a mate.
A female turtle usually lays between 2 and 4 eggs in a clutch. There is no sign that they lay multiple clutches of eggs. The number of eggs laid depends on the size of the mother turtle. Larger mothers tend to lay more eggs. However, the width of the eggs is not related to the mother's body size. It is related to her body mass. The width of her pelvis (hip bones) is also linked to the egg width and her body size. Egg size does not change much. The eggs usually hatch after about 70 days.
What Do They Eat?
Desert box turtles are omnivores. This means they eat both plants and animals. They eat plants that grow in their habitat. They also eat insects and smaller animals. Since they live in grasslands, their diet mostly includes insects that live on the ground. This includes grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars.
An important part of their diet is dung beetles. There are usually many dung beetles because there are many plant-eating animals in their habitat. If the number of dung beetles goes down, the number of box turtles can also decrease.
Protecting Them
Box turtles in North America are becoming a concern for conservation. This is because they are losing their homes. Also, people sometimes take them for the pet trade. Prairies are being destroyed for building and other land changes. This has caused the number of desert box turtles to drop in many areas where they live. These turtles are very loyal to their homes and use them for winter sleep.
Organizations are trying to help by moving turtles to new, protected areas. But it's hard to keep track of them for a long time after they are moved. This is because the new areas are unfamiliar to the turtles. Plus, they are known for trying to go back to their original homes. They have small home ranges and are very loyal to them, especially their winter sleeping spots.
- van Dijk, P.P. and Hammerson, G.A. (2011) Terrapene ornata. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Archived online 9 June 2018.
- http://www.reptilefact.com/dmca-take-down-notice. (2018). Ornate Box Turtle Range. Archived online 9 June 2018
Images for kids
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Figure 1: A desert box turtle showing its boxy shell.
See also
In Spanish: Terrapene ornata luteola para niños
