where do box turtles live
The young hatch from their eggs after several months, depending on the temperature. Sadly, human interaction has caused some populations to decline. It prefers land to water, but enjoys very moist conditions. While its geographic range reduced by 40% to 360 km2 in the past 40–50 years, the population of this species reduced from "well over 10,000" to "2,500" in 2002. Box turtles are a group of turtles that live in North America. [8], Box turtles are native to North America. Eastern Box Turtle Identification: 1. Eastern box turtles live thirty to forty years in the wild and have been alleged to reach ages of one hundred years or more in captivity. Onychotria Gray, 1849 As you can see the amount of time a box turtle will live is not very well defined. They are a long-term commitment, living for several decades, plus getting their environment right can be difficult. These turtles are omnivores, which means they eat plants and animals, usually insects and invertebrates. During hot, dry weather, box turtles will often seek out springs and seepages where they dig deeply into the cool mud. [6] Common Health Concerns. Box turtles require an outdoor enclosure (although they can have indoor enclosures when necessary), consistent exposure to light and a varied diet. The Florida box turtle is usually found in marshes, swamps or forests in areas of high humidity. Back to Top. [15] Box turtles are easily stressed by over-handling and require more care than is generally thought. This article is about American box turtles of the genus, "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. ", Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on, {{cite iucn}}: error: |doi= / |page= mismatch (, Netherlands Biodiversity Information Facility, 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T21642A9304337.en, 10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T21643A9304626.en, McCallum, M.L., J.L. The survivorship curve of box turtles is therefore probably similar to that of other long-living turtles. Box turtles live a long time! [10] The most widely distributed species Terrapene carolina is classified as vulnerable, while Terrapene ornata is in a lower category as near threatened. 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. Similarly to other box turtle species, Easterns can be long-lived! Cost $9.95. The plastron has a hinge that allows the turtle to “box” itself i… Two of the three turtles hibernated around end of September, the one tutle however has not yet hibernated. Their range extends as far north as Maine, and as far south as Florida in the United States. Based on a fossil found in 2008 they’ve existed for 200 to 250 million years. The only recognized extinct subspecies (T. c. putnami) dates from the Pliocene and was, with a carapace length of 30 cm (12 in), much larger than other species. The location for overwintering can be up to 0.5 km from the summer habitat and is often in close proximity to that of the previous year. The average life span of adult box turtles is 50 years, while a significant portion lives over 100 years. Ornate box turtles dig chambers up to 50 centimeters, while eastern box turtles hibernate at depth of about 10 centimeters. In more southern locations, turtles are active year-round, as has been observed for T. coahuila and T. c. major. [22][23][24] Missouri names the three-toed box turtle. 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