Eastern Box Turtle

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Four subspecies of the Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) inhabit the forest floors, swamps and grassy areas of the Eastern United States:

• Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) exhibits the widest range, extending from Southern New England, south to the Florida state line and west into Indiana, southern Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee.
• The Three-Toed Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina triunguis) ranges through the South Central United States.
• The range of the Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina bauri) is limited to the peninsula area.
• The Gulf Coast Box Turtle (T. carolina major) inhabits a small patch of land along the Gulf Coast from the Florida panhandle to southeast Louisiana.

Shell pattern varies among subspecies, but the turtle's small size and high dome make it easy to identify. The picture shows an individual discovered on the side of a road. Like many wild box turtles, they are shy around a human presence and tend to retract their legs and head into their shell.

Their diet is as broad as their range. Any plant, animal or berry food source it encounters while foraging is fair game.

© 2009 Patricia A. Michaels