Eastern Box Turtle
Eastern box turtles are one of four subspecies of box turtles occurring in the eastern United States. They are terrestrial, long-lived and slow in reproducing. They derived their name from being able to box up completely inside their shell when alarmed.
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Subphylum | Vertebrata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Testudines |
| Family | Emydidae |
| Genus | Terrapene |
| Species | Terrapene carolina |
| Scientific Name | Terrapene carolina carolina |
| Other Names | Box Turtle |
| Size | 4.5 to 6 in; largest specimen recorded is 7.8 in |
| Weight | 1 – 2 lbs |
| Color | Generally brownish or black carapace with yellowish or orangish scattered lines, spots or blotches; usually brown or black skin color with some orange, red, yellow or white spots or irregular lines; some male specimens may have blue blotches on the cheeks, throat and front legs; males generally have red eyes whereas females usually have brown eyes |
| Distribution | Southern Maine, eastern region of the Michigan Upper Peninsula, southern Florida, eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio, Indiana |
| Habitat | Deciduous or mixed forested regions with moist forest floor, bottomland, pastures, open grasslands, under fallen logs or in moist ground |
| Diet | Earthworms, snails, grubs, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, fallen fruit, berries, mushrooms, grasses, flowers, bread, duck weed, carrion |
| Hibernation Fact | Hibernates during winter months |
| Predators | Babies fall prey to coyotes, raccoons, wild pigs, turkeys, skunks, fox, weasels, possums, birds, snakes, cats, dogs, chickens, other Box Turtles |
| Breeding Season | May – October |
| Mode of Reproduction | Oviparous (egg laying) |
| Clutch Size | Around 4 eggs |
| Incubation Period | Around 70 days |
| Reproductive Age | 7 to 10 years of age |
| Average Lifespan | In Wild: 30 to 40 years In captivity : More than 100 years |
| IUCN Conservation Status | Vulnerable |
Eastern Box Turtle Pictures Gallery
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- Eastern Box Turtle Diet
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- Eastern Box Turtle Eggs
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- Eastern Box Turtle Food
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- Eastern Box Turtle Habitat
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- Eastern Box Turtle Hatchling
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- Eastern Box Turtle Pet
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- Eastern Box Turtle Photos
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- Eastern Box Turtle Pictures
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- Eastern Box Turtle Range
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- Eastern Box Turtle
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- Eastern Box Turtles
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- Female Eastern Box Turtle
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- Images of Eastern Box Turtles
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- Male Eastern Box Turtle
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- Pictures of Eastern Box Turtles
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- Terrapene Carolina Carolina
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- The Eastern Box Turtle
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- Baby Eastern Box Turtle
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- Eastern Box Turtle Baby
I found a box turtle in our yard recently. Today I was digging up some soil and found what I believe to be a turtle egg. I only found one. i have it in a terra cotta pot, buried in dirt. What are the chances that it will hatch? Should I put it back in the ground?
Maybe it would be better to put it back where you found it. You can maybe keep an eye out to make sure it’s not attacked by any other animal. Turtles don’t usually lay single eggs, are you sure there weren’t more?