Eastern box turtle facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina), also known as the land turtle, is a type of turtle with a special hinged shell. It's a subspecies of the common box turtle (Terrapene carolina). These turtles are native to the eastern part of the United States.

Even though they belong to the pond turtle family, Emydidae, eastern box turtles mostly live on land. They are slow-moving creatures that can live for a very long time. They also mature slowly and don't have many babies each year. Because of these traits, and dangers like getting hit by cars or farm machines, all box turtle species are easily harmed by human activities.

In 2011, experts noticed a big drop in the number of Terrapene carolina turtles. Their population had likely decreased by more than 32% over three generations. Because of this, the IUCN changed their conservation status from "Near Threatened" to "Vulnerable". This means they are at high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.

Amazing Features of the Eastern Box Turtle
Where Eastern Box Turtles Live
Eastern Box Turtle Life Cycle and Reproduction
What Eastern Box Turtles Eat
Eastern Box Turtles as Pets
State Reptiles
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Amazing Features of the Eastern Box Turtle

Eastern box turtles have a high, dome-shaped top shell, called a carapace. They also have a hinged bottom shell, called a plastron. This hinge lets them close their shell completely, like a box!

Their shells can be many different colors. They are usually brownish or black with patterns of yellow or orange lines, spots, or blotches. Their skin is also variable, often brown or black with yellow, orange, red, or white spots or streaks. This coloring helps them blend in with fallen leaves.

Some male turtles in certain areas might have blue patches on their cheeks, throat, and front legs. Males usually have red eyes, while females typically have brown eyes. Eastern box turtles have a sharp, horned beak and strong legs. Their feet are only slightly webbed at the base. They have five toes on each front leg and usually four toes on each back leg. Some might have three toes on their back legs.

These turtles stay fairly small, usually 4.5 to 6 inches long. Some can grow over 7 inches. In captivity, they can live for more than 100 years. However, in the wild, they often live shorter lives because of diseases and predators.

An eastern box turtle in Florida

The hinged shell is a unique feature of box turtles. A female's bottom shell (plastron) is flat. But a male's plastron is curved inward. This helps the male fit over the female's shell during mating. The front and back parts of the plastron are connected by a flexible hinge. When a turtle feels danger, it can pull its body inside its shell. The hinged parts close tightly against the top shell, sealing the soft body inside. This is how they form a "box" and protect themselves.

The shell is made of bone covered by living tissue and a layer of keratin. This shell is permanently attached to the turtle's body through its fused rib cage.

If the shell gets hurt, it can heal and regrow. New tissue slowly forms, and new keratin grows under the damaged area. Over time, the old damaged part falls off, showing the new shell underneath. Unlike water turtles, box turtle shells keep growing throughout their lives. They develop growth rings, like tree rings. Water turtles usually shed their shell plates (scutes) as they grow.

Where Eastern Box Turtles Live

As their name suggests, eastern box turtles are mostly found in the eastern United States. Their range goes as far north as southern Maine and parts of Michigan. They live south to southern Florida and west to eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

In the northern parts of their range, they usually live below 1,000 feet in elevation. But in the southern parts, they can be found up to 6,000 feet high. They are not very common in the Great Lakes region. However, you can find populations in areas not cut through by busy roads.

Eastern box turtles prefer deciduous or mixed forests. They like a forest floor that is a bit moist and drains well. They prefer low-lying forest areas over hillsides. They can also be found in open grasslands, pastures, or under fallen logs. They often hide in moist leaves or wet dirt. They are also known to take "baths" in shallow streams, ponds, or puddles. During hot weather, they might even bury themselves in mud for days. However, if the water is too deep, they can drown.

Eastern Box Turtle Life Cycle and Reproduction

Eastern box turtles can reproduce from late spring through early fall. However, they are most likely to lay eggs in May and June, especially when it rains a lot. Finding a mate can be hard if there aren't many turtles around. Once they find a mate, they go through a three-step courtship.

After mating, the female looks for a good nesting spot. Choosing the right spot is very important for the eggs. Predators and temperature are big concerns. The temperature of the nest affects whether the babies will be male or female. It also affects how fast they develop.

Females use their back feet to dig a shallow nest in loose soil. This can take 2 to 6 hours. The eggs are laid soon after digging. Each egg is placed in a specific position. The eggs are oblong, about 3 centimeters long, creamy white, and feel leathery. The female then covers the nest with grass, leaves, or soil.

A female can lay 1 to 5 groups of eggs (called clutches) in a year. Each clutch has about 1 to 9 eggs. If there isn't enough food, a female might even delay laying her eggs. Females can store sperm inside their bodies for several years. This means they can wait until conditions are good to fertilize eggs and lay them. The eggs usually hatch in 50 to 70 days, but this can change a lot depending on the temperature.

What Eastern Box Turtles Eat

Eastern box turtles' eating habits change a lot. This depends on what they like, the temperature, the light, and their environment. Unlike warm-blooded animals, their hunger isn't driven by their metabolism. If conditions aren't good, they can just slow down, hide in their shells, and stop eating.

In the wild, eastern box turtles eat many different things. They are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. They will eat earthworms, snails, slugs, grubs, beetles, caterpillars, grasses, weeds, fallen fruit, berries, mushrooms, flowers, and dead animals (carrion). Studies have even shown them eating live birds caught in nets. Sometimes, especially in captivity, they might eat food just because it looks and smells good, like hamburger or eggs. But these foods might not be healthy for them.

Eastern Box Turtles as Pets

Thousands of box turtles are taken from the wild each year to be sold as pets. This mostly happens in South Carolina, the only state where it's still legal to capture and sell them. Turtles kept as pets might only live for a few days if they don't get proper food, water, and a good home.

The bright shell colors of wild eastern box turtles often fade when they are kept as pets. This led to the wrong idea that their color fades with age. The truth is, they need enough full sunlight for their shell colors to stay bright.

Eastern box turtles are protected in most places where they live. But many states let people catch and keep them for personal use. Breeding them in captivity is common. However, it's not enough to meet the demand for pets. Box turtles can be strong pets if their needs are met. But they are not easy to care for because they have many specific requirements.

Pet eastern box turtles need high humidity and warm temperatures. They also need areas with different temperatures, so they can warm up or cool down. They need soft ground for burrowing and special ultraviolet lights that copy sunlight. A warm basking spot is important. It helps them warm up and is needed for male turtles to develop sperm and female turtles to develop egg follicles.

They also need a large, easy-to-reach water dish for bathing and drinking. The water should always be fresh and clean. Box turtles often don't get all the nutrients they need from their food in captivity. So, they might need vitamin supplements like calcium, vitamin A, and folic acid to stay healthy.

Captive turtles can eat various live invertebrates like crickets, worms, beetles and grubs (beetle larvae), cockroaches, and small mice. They can also eat wild strawberries, mixed berries, other fruits, romaine lettuce, collard greens, dandelion greens, chicory, mushrooms, and clover. Some high-quality moist dog foods can be given sometimes, but whole animals are better. A special food called Reptomin is good for baby and young box turtles.

State Reptiles

"The turtle watches undisturbed as countless generations of faster 'hares' run by to quick oblivion, and is thus a model of patience for mankind, and a symbol of our State’s unrelenting pursuit of great and lofty goals."

North Carolina Secretary of State

The eastern box turtle is the official state reptile of two U.S. states: North Carolina and Tennessee. North Carolina is even part of the turtle's scientific name, carolina carolina. In Pennsylvania, a bill to make the eastern box turtle the state reptile passed one part of the government but failed in 2009. In Virginia, similar bills failed in 1999 and 2009. One reason was the turtle's strong connection to North Carolina.