Eastern Box Turtle

Terrapene carolina carolina

Least Concern

Quick Facts

Kingdom: Animalia

Abundance: Common

Habitat: Forest, Grassland, Wetland, Urban

Activity: Diurnal (Active during day)

Eastern box turtles are one of the most commonly seen turtles in the wild. They are a subspecies of the Common Box Turtle and is largely terrestrial. Eastern box turtles have a high, domelike carapace (top of the shell) and a hinged plastron (bottom of the shell) that allows total shell closure. The carapace is typically brownish or black and accompanied by a yellowish or orangish radiating pattern of lines, spots, or blotches. Males normally possess red eyes, whereas females usually have brown eyes.

Diet

Omnivorous, eats snails, insects, berries, fungi, slugs, worms, roots, flowers, fish, frogs, salamanders, snakes, birds, and eggs

Activity Pattern

Diurnal (Active during day)

Kingdom: Animalia

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Phylum: Chordata

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Class: Reptilia

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Order: Testudines

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Family: Emydidae

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Genus: Terrapene

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Species: Terrapene carolina carolina

Scientific Name

Terrapene carolina carolina

Common Name

Eastern Box Turtle

Breeding Season

Spring-October

Nesting Season

May-July

Behavior

In the heat of the summer, Eastern Box Turtles largely restrict their activity to mornings and after rain. When it gets too hot, they hide under decaying logs and leaves, crawl into mammal burrows, or in mud. When it is very hot, they go into shady pools and puddles to cool off. In the spring and fall, they may be out foraging during all daylight hours, and they sometimes bask in the sun to get warm. They are diurnal and scoop out a shallow indentation in which to spend the night.

Ecological Role

This species eats a wide variety of animals, so may effect various prey populations. Also, box turtles may disperse seeds as they eat berries of different kinds of plants.

Activity Pattern

Diurnal (Active during day)

Habitat Types

Forest

Grassland

Wetland

Urban

Geographic Distribution

Exclusively North American, box turtles are found in the eastern United States, ranging from southern Maine to Florida along the East Coast, and west to Michigan, Illinois, eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Local Abundance

Common

Conservation Status

Least Concern

This species is widespread and abundant. No immediate threat to survival.

Threats & Impacts

The eastern box turtle is not considered endangered on a national level. However, some states—including Michigan, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut—list the animal as a species of special concern, and Maine lists the turtle as endangered. Habitat loss, traffic incidents, and collection for the pet trade are all factors contributing to its decline.

How You Can Help

Report sightings to contribute to population monitoring
Support habitat conservation efforts
Follow guidelines when observing wildlife

No field notes or observations available for this species.

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