The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is a subspecies within a group of hinge-shelled turtles normally called box turtles. T.c.carolina is native to the Eastern United States.
The eastern box turtle is a subspecies of the common box turtle (Terrapene carolina). While in the pond turtle family, Emydidae, and not a tortoise, the box turtle is largely terrestrial.[4] Box turtles are slow crawlers, extremely long-lived, and slow to mature and have relatively few offspring per year. These characteristics, along with a propensity to get hit by cars and agricultural machinery, make all box turtle species particularly susceptible to anthropogenic, or human-induced, mortality.
Eastern box turtles have a high, domelike carapace and a hinged plastron that allows total shell closure. Their shell has a middorsal keel that smooths out with age.[5] The carapace can be of variable coloration but is normally brownish or black and accompanied by a yellowish or orangish radiating pattern of lines, spots, or blotches. Skin coloration, like that of the shell, is variable but is usually brown or black with some yellow, orange, red, or white spots or streaks.[6] This coloration closely mimics that of the winter leaf of the tulip poplar. In some isolated populations, males may have blue patches on their cheeks, throat, and front legs. Furthermore, males normally possess red eyes (irises), whereas females usually have brown eyes. Eastern box turtles feature a sharp, horned beak and stout limbs, and their feet are webbed only at the base. Eastern box turtles have five toes on each front leg and normally four toes on each hind leg, although some individuals may possess three toes on each hind leg. Eastern box turtles range in size from 4.5 to 8in (11 to 20cm) long.
Eastern box turtle in Florida
Eastern box turtles have many uniquely identifying characteristics as part of the box turtle group. While the female's plastron is flat, it is concave in males so the male may fit over the back end of the female's carapace during mating. The front and back of the plastron are connected by a flexible hinge. When in danger, the turtle is able to close the plastron by pulling the hinged sections closely against the carapace, effectively sealing the soft body in bone, hence forming a "box". The shell is made of bone covered by living vascularized tissue and covered with a layer of keratin. This shell is connected to the body through its fused rib cage which makes the shell permanently attached and not removable.
When injured or damaged, the shell has the capacity to regenerate and reform. Granular tissue slowly forms and keratin slowly grows underneath the damaged area to replace damaged and missing scutes. Over time, the damaged area falls off, revealing the new keratin formed beneath it. Unlike water turtles such as the native eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta), box turtle scutes continue to grow throughout the turtle's life and develop growth rings. Water turtles typically shed their scutes as they grow.
Females' rear claws are longer and straighter. Males have longer and thicker tails.[7]
Behaviors
As ectotherms, Eastern box turtles must maintain temperature homeostasis by seeking cover, such as shaded forests or streams, when body temperatures are high and by finding basking locations when body temperatures are low, in order to increase their metabolic rate for foraging and digestion [8]
Distribution and habitat
The eastern box turtle is found mainly in the eastern United States, as is implied by its name. They occur as far north as southern Maine and the southern and eastern portions of the Michigan Upper Peninsula, south to northern Florida and west to eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. In the northern parts of their range, they are rarely found above 1,000 feet in elevation, while they may be found up to 6,000 feet in the southern parts of their range. The eastern box turtle is considered uncommon to rare in the Great Lakes region; however, populations can be found in areas not bisected by heavily traveled roads. In the Midwest, they are a Species of Concern in Ohio, and of Special Concern in Michigan and Indiana. Eastern box turtles prefer deciduous or mixed forested regions, with a moderately moist forest floor that has good drainage. Bottomland forest is preferred over hillsides and ridges. They can also be found in open grasslands, pastures, or under fallen logs or in moist ground, usually moist leaves or wet dirt. Terrapene carolina is known to burrow in leafy debris, brush, or soil. These burrows are called "resting forms" and they are used to regulate temperature or hydrate.[9] They have also been known to take "baths" in shallow streams and ponds or puddles, and during hot periods may submerge in mud for days at a time. However, if placed in water that is too deep (completely submerged), they may drown.[10] Many Eastern box turtles try to avoid stressful environmental conditions. When winter is in season, these turtles will burrow into the soil and stay dormant until the temperature rises.[11]
Eastern box turtles are known to have high site fidelity and remain in the same home range for a very long period. Some have been known to stay at the same site for upwards of 32 years, which is highly uncommon for reptiles.[12] They have a very strong homing instinct and will rarely travel more than 1.5 miles (2.5km) from their home territory. When they are relocated, they will still try to find their way back to their original home range.[13] Home ranges of relocated turtles can be up to be 3 times larger than resident turtles in an area.[14]
They are exclusively in North America.[7] When in an isolated habitat they move less.[15] They prefer an enriched habitat over a barren habitat.[9] They are also more active in the morning.[16]
Diet
The eating habits of eastern box turtles vary greatly due to individual taste, temperature, lighting, and their surrounding environment. Unlike warm-blooded animals, their metabolism does not drive their appetite; instead, they can just lessen their activity level, retreat into their shells, and halt their food intake until better conditions arise.
In the wild, eastern box turtles are opportunistic omnivores and will feed on a variety of animal and vegetable matter. There are a variety of foods which are universally accepted by eastern box turtles, which include earthworms, snails, slugs, grubs, beetles, caterpillars, grasses, weeds, fallen fruit, berries, mushrooms, flowers, duck weed, and carrion. Studies at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Maryland have also shown that eastern box turtles have fed on live birds that were trapped in netting. Many times, they will eat an item of food, especially in captivity, just because it looks and smells edible, such as hamburger or eggs, even though the food may be harmful or unhealthy.[17] Diet varies very little between seasons, with box turtles consuming plant matter and invertebrates during every feeding season, and mushrooms and snails during certain months.[18] Young are primarily carnivorous and adults are mostly herbivorous.[7]
Reproduction
Female digging a hole with her back legs to lay eggs
Reproduction for the eastern box turtle can occur at any point throughout the late spring, summer, and early fall months, but egg laying is most likely to occur in May and June, when rain is frequent. After finding a mate (there is no pair bonding, and mate-finding mechanisms are unclear), which can be a difficult task in areas where mates are sparse, the couple will embark on a three-phase courtship event. Following fertilization, the female finds an appropriate nesting site. Nest site selection is vital to egg development, as predation and temperature are primary concerns. Temperature affects the sex of offspring (Type I temperature-dependent sex determination), developmental rate, and possibly fitness. Females will use their hind feet to dig a shallow nest in loose soil; this process can take two to six hours. Eggs are generally deposited shortly after the digging phase, and each egg is deployed into a particular position. Eggs are oblong, 3cm (1.5in) long, creamy white, and leathery. Nests are then concealed with grass, leaves, or soil.[19] A female can lay anywhere from 1 to 5 clutches of about 1 to 9 eggs in a single year, or even delay laying her clutch if resources are scarce. There is a theory that clutch size increases with latitude, but more studies are needed to confirm this.[20] Females exhibit delayed fertility, wherein sperm can be stored in oviducts for several years until conditions are favorable for fertilization and laying. Incubation ranges widely depending on temperature, but averages 50 to 70 days.[21][17]
They have very low reproductive success.[22] Females can lay fertile eggs up to four years after a successful mating.[7]
Captivity
Thousands of box turtles are collected from the wild every year for the domestic pet trade, although there are captive-bred individuals available. Buying a pet box turtle captive-bred rather than wild-caught helps discourage collection from the wild and helps preserve wild populations. The eastern box turtle is protected throughout most of its range, but many states allow the capture and possession of box turtles for personal use. Captive breeding is fairly commonplace, but not so much that it can supply the market demand.
Captive turtles may have a life span as short as three days if they are not fed, watered, and held in a proper container. Although box turtles may make hardy captives if their needs are met, and are frequently kept as pets, they are not easy turtles to keep, owing to their many specific requirements. Eastern box turtles require high humidity, warm temperatures with vertical and horizontal thermal gradients, suitable substrate for burrowing, and a T5 HO fluorescent UVB lamp of appropriate strength. A basking area at one end of the enclosure is important to offer the turtle the ability to warm itself and is critical to sexually mature males and females for development of sperm and egg follicles, respectively.
Water should be fresh and clean and available at all times. A large, easily accessible water dish for bathing and drinking is important to their health.
Captive diets include various live invertebrates such as crickets, worms, earthworms, beetles and grubs (beetle larvae), cockroaches, small mice as well as wild strawberries, and fish (not goldfish). Mixed berries, fruit, romaine lettuce, collard greens, dandelion greens, chicory, mushrooms and clover are suitable for box turtles as well. While some high quality moist dog foods may be occasionally offered, whole animals are preferable. Commercial diets such as Reptilinks, Mazuri Tortoise Diet, Repashy Veggie Burger, and Arcadia OmniGold can be used for variety and additional nutrition. Because box turtles seldom get the nutrients they need to foster shell growth and skeletal and skin development, they also require a multivitamin supplement and access to a cuttlebone for calcium.
The vivid shell color found in many eastern box turtles often fades when a turtle is brought into captivity. This has led to the mistaken belief that the color fades as the turtle ages. Insufficient access to full sunlight is likely to cause the color in the keratin layer to fade. In addition to providing UVB lighting, providing a varied diet complete with a carotenoid supplement can help sustain a pet's vibrant colors.[citation needed]
In captivity, box turtles are known to be capable of living over 100 years, but in the wild, often live much shorter lives due to disease and predation.[17]
Conservation
Eastern box turtles are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Species Red List. They are currently fairly common, especially in the southern part of their range, but many populations are declining rapidly. Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation caused by urbanization or other human use is the main cause of this species' vulnerability.[23] Eastern box turtles have also been found in urbanized areas where they are threatened by collisions with vehicles, mowing activity, and people removing them from the wild either out of a concern for the turtles’ safety or to keep them as pets.[24] Diseases are another factor that threaten eastern box turtles. Ranaviruses, for example, have been found in eastern box turtles in Illinois since 2014.[25]
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."
The eastern box turtle is the official state reptile of two U.S. states: North Carolina (which gives rise to the species and subspecies name carolina carolina) and Tennessee.[27][28][29] In Pennsylvania, the eastern box turtle made it through one house of the legislature, but failed to win final naming in 2009.[30] In Virginia, bills to honor the eastern box turtle failed in 1999 and then in 2009; a core reason is the creature's close links to North Carolina.[31]
Gallery
Eastern box turtles laying eggs
Adult male, eastern box turtle
Young box turtle
Tomlinson Run State Park, WV
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Plastron fully closed
T. c. carolina at the Louisville Zoo
A Female Eastern Box Turtle in Central Park, New York City
Male with 'Best In Class' shell and good looks. Southwest PA
Older female with a worn and weathered shell. Western PA
Related Research Articles
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The red-eared slider or red-eared terrapin is a subspecies of the pond slider, a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States, is also popular as a pet across the rest of the world, and is the most invasive turtle. It is the most commonly traded turtle in the world.
The alligator snapping turtle is a large species of turtle in the family Chelydridae. The species is endemic to freshwater habitats in the United States. M. temminckii is one of the heaviest freshwater turtles in the world. It is the largest freshwater species of turtle in North America. It is often associated with, but not closely related to, the common snapping turtle, which is in the genus Chelydra. The specific epithet temminckii is in honor of Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck.
The spotted turtle, the only species of the genus Clemmys, is a small, semi-aquatic turtle that reaches a carapace length of 8–12 cm (3.1–4.7 in) upon adulthood. Their broad, smooth, low dark-colored upper shell, or carapace, ranges in its exact colour from black to a bluish black with a number of tiny yellow round spots. The spotting patterning extends from the head, to the neck and out onto the limbs. Sexually mature males have a concave plastron and a long, thick tail. By contrast, sexually mature females possess a flat plastron and have a tail that is noticeably shorter and thinner than that of mature males. Mature males also have a dark iris and face; females typically have a yellow or orange iris and a similarly coloured face that is distinctly lighter than the males'. Juveniles appear female-like in this regard, and at maturity males begin to develop darker features.
The chicken turtle is a turtle native to the southeastern United States. It is the only extant member of the genus Deirochelys and is a member of the freshwater marsh turtle family Emydidae. The chicken turtle's scientific name refers to its extremely long neck and distinctive net-like pattern on its upper shell. There are three regionally distinct subspecies, which are thought to have evolved when populations became separated during periods of glaciation. These subspecies can be distinguished by their appearance; the western chicken turtle displays dark markings along the seams of its plastron, while the plastron of the Florida subspecies is a bright yellow or orange color. Fossil records show that the chicken turtle has been present in the region for up to five million years.
North American box turtles are turtles of the genus Terrapene. Although box turtles are superficially similar to tortoises in terrestrial habits and overall appearance, they are actually members of the American pond turtle family (Emydidae). The 12 taxa which are distinguished in the genus are distributed over seven species. They are largely characterized by having a domed shell which is hinged at the bottom, allowing the animal to retract its head and legs and close its shell tightly to protect itself from predators.
The red-footed tortoise is a species of tortoise from northern South America. These medium-sized tortoises generally average 30 cm (12 in) as adults, but can reach over 40 cm (16 in). They have dark-colored, “loaf”-shaped carapaces with a lighter patch in the middle of each scute, and a somewhat lighter-colored plastron (underbelly). They also have dark limbs dotted with brightly-colored scales, from which they get their name, that range from pale yellow to vivid or dark red. Visible differences are noted between red-footed tortoises from varying eco-regions. They are closely related to the more easterly-distributed yellow-footed tortoise of the Amazon Basin.
The Amboina box turtle or Southeast Asian box turtle is a species of Asian box turtle widely distributed across Southeast Asia. It is native to the Asian mainland from northeast India, through Bangladesh, Burma and Thailand, across Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. It is also found on the archipelagos of Indonesia and the Philippines.
The common box turtle is a species of box turtle with six existing subspecies. It is found throughout the Eastern United States and Mexico. The box turtle has a distinctive hinged lowered shell that allows it to completely enclose itself. Its upper jaw is long. The turtle is primarily terrestrial and eats a wide variety of plants and animals. The females lay their eggs in the summer. Turtles in the northern part of their range hibernate over the winter.
The bog turtle is a critically endangered species of semiaquatic turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is endemic to the eastern United States. It was first scientifically described in 1801 after an 18th-century survey of Pennsylvania. The smallest North American turtle, its carapace measures about 10 centimeters (4 in) long when fully grown. Although the bog turtle is similar in appearance to the painted or spotted turtles, its closest relative is actually the somewhat larger wood turtle. The bog turtle can be found from Vermont in the north, south to Georgia, and west to Ohio. Diurnal and secretive, it spends most of its time buried in mud and – during the winter months – in hibernation. The bog turtle is omnivorous, feeding mainly on small invertebrates. The bog turtle is the state reptile of New Jersey.
The three-toed box turtle is a species within the genus of hinge-shelled turtles commonly referred to as box turtles. This species is native to the south-central part of the United States and is the official reptile of the state of Missouri.
Sternotherus odoratus is a species of small turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species is native to southeastern Canada and much of the Eastern United States. It is also known commonly as the common musk turtle, eastern musk turtle, or stinkpot turtle due to its ability to release a foul musky odor from scent glands on the edge of its shell, possibly to deter predation. This turtle is grouped in the same family as mud turtles.
The Florida softshell turtle is a species of turtle in the family Trionychidae. The species is native to the Southeastern United States.
The wood turtle is a species of turtle endemic to North America. It is in the genus Glyptemys, a genus which contains only one other species of turtle: the bog turtle. The wood turtle reaches a straight carapace length of 14 to 20 centimeters, its defining characteristic being the pyramidal shape of the scutes on its upper shell. Morphologically, it is similar to the bog turtle, spotted turtle, and Blanding's turtle. The wood turtle exists in a broad geographic range extending from Nova Scotia in the north to Minnesota in the west and Virginia in the south. In the past, it was forced south by encroaching glaciers: skeletal remains have been found as far south as Georgia.
The eastern river cooter is a subspecies of turtle native to the eastern United States, with a smaller population in the midwest. It is found in freshwater habitats such as rivers, lakes, and ponds.
The desert box turtle, also known as the Sonoran box turtle, is a subspecies of box turtle which is endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. They are generally terrestrial but occasionally take to the water and are most known for their boxy shell and its structural integrity. The desert box turtles are most active in late June or early July into early October, with greatest activity in July and August.
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The Florida box turtle is a subspecies of turtle belonging to the family Emydidae and is one of six extant subspecies of the common box turtle
Box turtle is the common name for several species of turtle. It may refer to those of the genus Cuora or Pyxidea, which are the Asian box turtles, or more commonly to species of the genus Terrapene, the North American box turtles. They are largely characterized by having a shell shaped like a dome, which is hinged at the bottom, allowing the animal to close its shell tightly to escape predators. Furthermore, the two genera are very different in habitat, behavior and appearance, and are not even classified in the same family. Even though box turtles became very popular pets, their needs in captivity are complex and the capture of turtles can have serious detrimental effects on the wild population.
↑ Fredericksen, Todd S. (2014). "Thermal Regulation and Habitat Use of the Eastern Box Turtle in Southwestern Virginia". Northeastern Naturalist. 21 (4): 554–564. doi:10.1656/045.021.0406. S2CID84530318– via UGA.
↑ Powell, R., Conant, R., Collins, J. T., Conant, I. H., Johnson, T. R., Hooper, E. D., Taggart, T. W., Conant, R., & Collins, J. T. (2016). Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and amphibians of Eastern and central North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
↑ Fredericksen, T. S. (2014). "Thermal regulation and habitat use of the eastern box turtle in southwestern Virginia". Northeastern Naturalist. 21 (4): 554–564. doi:10.1656/045.021.0406.
1 2 Case, Beth C.; Lewbart, Gregory A.; Doerr, Phillip D. (August 2005). "The physiological and behavioural impacts of and preference for an enriched environment in the eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 92 (4): 353–365. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2004.11.011. ISSN0168-1591.
↑ DeGregorio, B. A.; Tuberville, T. D.; Kennamer, R. A.; Harris, B. B.; Brisbin, I. L. (2017). "Spring emergence of Eastern Box Turtles ( Terrapene carolina): influences of individual variation and scale of temperature correlates". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 95 (1): 23–30. doi:10.1139/cjz-2016-0149. OSTI1839068.
↑ Iglay, Raymond B.; etal. (2007). "Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) movements in a fragmented landscape". Journal of Herpetology. 41 (1): 102–106. doi:10.1670/0022-1511(2007)41[102:ebttcc]2.0.co;2.
↑ Walden, Margarete (2017). Hibernal phenology of the eastern box turtle, Terrapene carolina carolina (MSc thesis). University of Rhode Island. doi:10.23860/thesis-walden-margarete-2017.
1 2 3 Dodd, C. Kenneth (2001). North American Box Turtles: A Natural History. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN0806135018.
↑ Figueras, M. P., Green, T. M., & Burke, R. L. (2021). Consumption Patterns of a Generalist Omnivore: Eastern Box Turtle Diets in the Long Island Pine Barrens. Diversity (14242818), 13(8), 345.
↑ Congello, Karin (1978). "Nesting and egg laying behavior in Terrapene carolina". Proceedings of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science. 52: 51–56.
↑ Willey, & Sievert, P. R. (2012). Notes on the Nesting Ecology of Eastern Box Turtles near the Northern Limit of their Range. Northeastern Naturalist, 19(3), 361–372.
↑ Burke, Russell L. (2011). "Nesting ecology and hatching success of the eastern box turtle, Terrapene carolina, on Long Island, New York". The American Midland Naturalist. 165: 137–142. doi:10.1674/0003-0031-165.1.137. S2CID85210016.
↑ Belzer, Bill (2009). "The newsletter of Chelonian conservationists and Biologists". Turtle and Tortoise Newsletter. 2009 (13): 2–35. doi:10.2744/1526-3096-13.1.2.
↑ Henriquez, M. C.; Macey, S. K.; Baker, E. E.; Kelly, L. B.; Betts, R. L.; Rubbo, M. J.; Clark, J. A. (2017). "Translocated and resident Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene c. carolina) in New York: Movement patterns and habitat use". Northeastern Naturalist. 24 (3): 249–266. doi:10.1656/045.024.0303.
↑ Rayl, J. M.; Adamovicz, L.; Stern, A. W.; Vieson, M. D.; Phillips, C. A.; Kelly, M.; Beermann, M.; Allender, M. C. (2020). "MORTALITY INVESTIGATION OF MONITORED EASTERN BOX TURTLES (TERRAPENE CAROLINA CAROLINA) IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS, USA, FROM 2016–18". Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 56 (2): 306–315. doi:10.7589/2019-01-016. PMID31750775.
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