![]() It can take a female box turtle at least five years, and possibly a full decade, to reach sexual maturity. Reproduction does not come readily or easily to Eastern box turtles. Males have short, thick, curved rear claws while females have longer, straighter, and more slender rear claws. Males have bright red eyes females have yellowish-brown eyes. Males are slightly larger than females and have thicker, longer tails. Males and females can be told apart by differences in size and some traits. The Eastern box turtle has a brownish-black shell that is spotted or streaked with yellow or orange. One or more box turtles may share the same hibernacula. A winter brumation burrow is called a hibernacula. They take shelter by burrowing up to two feet deep in dirt, mud, stream bottoms, stump holes, or mammal burrows. They may stay hidden during the hottest part of the day but are still active during daylight hours. They are often found in groups and tolerate others in their territory without displaying aggression.īox turtles are active during the warmer months. Home ranges often overlap and box turtles are not aggressively territorial. 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. If removed from its home territory, it will make every effort to return. A box turtle makes a mental map of its home territory and knows exactly where to find food throughout the year. Most box turtles spend their entire lives – which can exceed 100 years! – within 250 yards of the nests where they were born. They can also be seen in the Meadow in the Maryland Wilderness at the Maryland Zoo. People may see box turtles in their backyards. Box turtles prefer habitat from open fields to wooded or marshy areas, preferably with a lot of leaf cover. carolina carolina, inhabits the eastern and central United States from southern Maine to Florida and west into Michigan, Illinois, eastern Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. There are 6 subspecies of box turtle, four native to the United States and two native to Mexico. Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion.A sudden shower after a dry spell usually will bring out box turtles in large numbers. decaying leaves, and other plant debris, venturing out only during early morning or evening. During the heat of summer, this extremely gentle animal spends the day hidden beneath rotting logs. Habitat & Behaviorįound in woodlands throughout Ohio, the box turtle is our most terrestrial turtle. In the wild, warmer eggs at the top of a nest may all hatch out as females, while cooler eggs at the bottom hatch out as males.įor the Eastern box turtle, incubation of the 3-8 eggs usually lasts 3 months, but varies depending on soil temperature and moisture. With the exception of softshell turtles, the sex of all species of Ohio turtles is dependent on the temperature at which the eggs develop. The reproductive biology of turtles is fascinating. Males usually have red eyes and a longer tail than females. Usually it is dark brown or black, accented with some combination of yellow streaks or blotches. The high-domed carapace of the box turtle may carry a wide variety of markings. ![]() The greatest threat to Ohio's box turtles is the thoughtless driver who makes no attempt to avoid running over them as they lumber across the highway.ĭownload Ohio Wildlife Field Guides Description This "boxes in" the turtle for protection. ![]() The box turtle ( Terrapene carolina) gets its name from its centrally hinged plastron (lower shell), which enables both front and rear portions of the plastron to be drawn up tightly against the carapace (upper shell).
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