Eastern Box Turtle

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Introduction

For this week’s post I am going to write about the eastern box turtle. This is my first turtle post, which is appropriate because the eastern box turtle is the first turtle I ever saw.
                                                                                      Photo Credit Matt Bell

Box Turtles in my Backyard

The box turtle is another animal that has been with me most of my life. I first saw a box turtle when I was five or six, which I caught during one of my summer backyard expeditions. I had been searching for a turtle in my backyard my entire short life. So, I was thrilled to finally capture one. I kept the turtle for a few days. I was still living in a time without the internet, and I did not know how to properly care for a turtle. So, after a few days I released the turtle back into the wild. My time in Indiana was a time without seeing box turtles in my backyard.
When I moved back to Pennsylvania I started to see box turtles once again. I mostly see one or two turtles a year. Most sighting take place during the mid-summer months. When I see a turtle I will often capture it and bring it inside for study. I take a few photos of the turtle then release it back into the wild.
The box turtle I work with at the nature center is fifteen years old. He lives in a fifty gallon terrarium. The terrarium is filled with soil, a swimming area, artificial plants, and UV lighting. The box turtle’s diet is make up of turtle pellets, meal worms, and vegetables. 
    

 Box Turtle Fast Facts


  • The box turtles average size is 4.5 to 6 inches long.

  • The eastern box turtle is also known as the common box turtle.

  • There are four different species of box turtles, which are the common, coahuilan, ornate, and spotted. Out of these four species only the common box turtle is found in Pennsylvania.

  • In captivity box turtles can live over 100 years.

  • The box turtle is the state reptile of Tennessee and North Carolina.

  • Female box turtles have brown eyes, while males have red eyes.

  • Female turtle can lay fertile eggs four years after mating.

Common Box turtles Effect on the Ecosystem

Box turtles help the ecosystem by acting as seed distributors when they eat berries. In addition to this box turtles also eat harmful insects.
Box turtles also have a small negative impact on an ecosystem. This is due to box turtles occasionally destroying the nests of ground-nesting birds. Box turtles can also harm gardens by eating the fruits or vegetables planted there. 

 Habitat

Box turtles are mostly found in woodlands, marshy areas, fields, meadows, and along streams and ponds.
Box turtles also enjoy warm weather on warm days box turtles can be found basking in the sun or searching for food. If the temperature gets too hot the box turtle will seek shelter under logs or go for a swim in a nearby water source. 

                                                                                                                            Photo Credit Matt Bell

Diet

The box turtles is an omnivorous species. Their diet includes almost anything small enough for them to eat. Box turtles have been known to eat berries, insects, flowers, snails, worms, snakes, eggs, frogs, salamanders, and even small mammals. Box turtles have also been seen feeding on carrion like dead birds and even dead cows!
Young box turtles are mainly carnivores, and hunt in areas like streams and ponds. The diet and hunting areas of adult box turtles is different. Adults mainly feed on land, and eat an herbivorous diet.

Reproduction

Eastern box turtles may mate anytime during the late spring, summer, or early fall months. However egg laying occurs during the months of May and June. Remember female turtles can lay fertilized eggs four years after mating. Before a female lays eggs she will located a nesting sight and create a nest. She creates a shallow nest in loose soil which normally takes 2 to 6 hours to create. Once the nest is dug the female lays 1 to 9 eggs, and can have 1 to 5 nests in a year. Once the eggs are laid they are fully covered in dirt. The average incubation period is between 50 and 70 days. The temperature around the eggs affects the sex of the young. Eggs in temperatures between 22-27 degrees Celsius are normally male while eggs laid in temperatures 28 degrees Celsius and above are normally female. When the young hatch they are well developed, and grow quickly until they reach sexual maturity. The young reach sexual maturity in five years, after that the rate of growth decreases.  


                                                                                   Photo Credit Jarek Tuszynski
          

                                                                       

Common Box Turtles Conservation Status

On a national level the common box turtle is not an endangered species. However in some states the box turtle is listed as a species of special concern. A species of special concern is a species that is close to becoming threaten or endangered. Box turtles are listed as species of special concern in Connecticut, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. In Maine the common box turtle is an endangered species. Factors that have led to this include pet trade collection, habitat loss, and box turtles getting killed by traffic.  

Should you Paint on Box Turtle Shells?

Believe it or not it is actually common for people to paint on turtle shells. This is harmful for the turtle because it can cause respiratory problems and allow toxic chemicals into the turtle’s bloodstream. The paint can also hinder the turtle’s ability to gain vitamins from the sun.

                                                                                                                              Photo Credit Matt Bell

Conclusion

The common box turtle is one of the few turtle species I have seen in my backyard. It is always a pleasure to see this colorful turtle slowing strolling through my backyard. Join me next time as we explore wildlife in my backyard and other nature topics.

References and Additional Resources



Box turtle. (n.d.).  Eastern Box Turtle – Terrapene carolina carolina. Retrieved from http://www.boxturtles.com/eastern-box-turtle/
National Wildlife Federation. (N.D.).  Eastern Box Turtle. Retrieved from 
https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Reptiles/Eastern-Box-Turtle
PAHERPS. (2016). Eastern Box Turtle. Retrieved from
http://www.paherps.com/herps/turtles/eastern-box-turtle/
University of Michigan. (2014). Terrapene carolina Florida Box Turtle. Retrieved from https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Terrapene_carolina/

Photo Credit  

 Jarek Tuszyński / CC-BY-SA-3.0 & GDFL, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7429674
Ltshears - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9348966





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