Eastern box turtle populations are in decline
The eastern box turtles population is in decline throughout the wold. I was lucky that I was able to see this species of turtle in one of the most western portions of its range. Jill and I were out for a quiet hike at Youngs Creek Trail in the Hoosier National Forest. I wasn't the one who saw this little turtle just a few feet off the trail; it was actually Landon, my dog, who walked passed him and then caught his scent in the air. He tugged me back, and then I was able to see the turtle.
The scientific name for the eastern box turtle is Terrapene carolina carolina. The fact that there are three names as part of the scientific name means that this turtle is identified as a subspecies. Subspecies are the only classification below a species. Since the species name carolina is repeated in the eastern box turtle's name, that means that it is the nominotypical subspecies. The nominotypical species is the first of the subspecies to have been described. Subspecies typically vary in range and/or in their morphological characteristics, but they can typically still interbreed.
Did you know that eastern box turtles are found in the United States, Canada, and Mexico? In the USA, they are found East of the Mississippi.
Did you know that box turtles have a hinged carapace (upper shell) that allows them to completely enclose themselves in their hard upper shell and plastron (lower shell) when threatened? This helps them survive some of the natural predators of other turtle species, such as: raccoons, coyotes, foxes, opossums, weasels, skunks, and ferrets.
This turtle has a dome-like carapace that is typically brownish or black with yellow or orange patterns of lines, spots, or blotches. Interestingly, the males normally possess red eyes, whereas females have brown eyes. In looking at the color photos that I took of this turtle, it has brown eyes, which makes my assumption that it is a female. When females of this turtle species lay their eggs, they dig a small nest and lay one to nine eggs. The eggs will hatch in 50 to 70 days from being laid.
Box turtles can completely enclose themselves in their shells
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