Eastern box turtle

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Box turtles earn their name by having a hinged plastron which allows them to completely close their head and limbs within the shell.
There is some sexual dimorphism with males typically being more colorful and having orange irises, while females tend to be more drab, slightly smaller, and have brown or yellow irises. However, this is not always the case. Males are generally larger than females and have a concave plastron while females have a flat plastron.
Box turtle coloration is highly variable. The shell typically has a background color of dark brown or black with varying amounts of yellow, orange, or tan markings. The skin of box turtles is also usually a shade of black or brown with lighter brown, yellow, orange, or even reddish markings, particularly on the head and forelimbs.

Range – Eastern and Midwestern USA
Habitat – Forests, grasslands, and wetlands. They are sometimes found in wooded parts of suburban and urban areas and often inhabit areas near streams or ponds.

Breeding occurs in Spring and Summer.
Males will combat each by biting and trying to flip each other over.
Males utilize their concave plastrons to help mount females for mating.
Eggs are laid in small holes in the ground which the female excavates with her rear limbs.

Eastern box turtles are often hit by cars while crossing roads and vehicle strikes are a big cause of wild box turtle mortalities. If you see a box turtle in the road, try to help it out by stopping (if it is safe to!), and moving the turtle to the side of the road which it is facing.
Box turtles are collected in large numbers for the illegal international live animal trade, which has become a much larger threat to this species over recent decades.
Although relatively common in our region, box turtles are protected in Georgia and it is illegal to collect or possess them without special permits.

Box turtles make terrible pets. They rarely adjust to captive conditions, and even those that do have specialized needs that can be difficult to properly replicate in the home.
Box turtles are one of the most collected and illegally exported North American turtles.
Hatchlings spend much of their time out of sight buried in leaf litter or loose soil and are rarely seen.
Fungi make up a portion of wild box turtle diets and they can even ingest mushrooms that are toxic to humans and other animals. This makes them potentially dangerous to eat, as the fungal toxins can accumulate in the turtle's tissues.
Adult box turtles are very tough and have few predators other than humans.
Zoo Atlanta has conducted research on the cognitive abilities and social facilitation of juvenile box turtles.

Easter, T. et al. (2023). Media portrayal of the illegal trade in wildlife: The case of turtles in the US and implications for conservation. People and Nature.
Niedzielski, S. (2002). Terrapene carolina. Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved from https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Terrapene_carolina/
University of Georgia. (n.d.). Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina). Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Retrieved on October 24, 2023 from https://srelherp.uga.edu/turtles/tercar.htm
Zoo Atlanta Animal Care Team

Updated July 2024

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