8/3/2023 0 Comments Western box turtle![]() The eastern box turtle is considered uncommon to rare in the Great Lakes region however, populations can be found in areas not bisected by heavily traveled roads. In the northern parts of their range, they are rarely found above 1,000 feet in elevation, while they may be found up to 6,000 feet in the southern parts of their range. They occur as far north as southern Maine and the southern and eastern portions of the Michigan Upper Peninsula, south to northern Florida and west to eastern Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The eastern box turtle is found mainly in the eastern United States, as is implied by its name. Water turtles typically shed their scutes as they grow. ![]() Unlike water turtles such as the native eastern painted turtle ( Chrysemys picta), box turtle scutes continue to grow throughout the turtle's life and develop growth rings. Over time, the damaged area falls off, revealing the new keratin formed beneath it. Granular tissue slowly forms and keratin slowly grows underneath the damaged area to replace damaged and missing scutes. When injured or damaged, the shell has the capacity to regenerate and reform. This shell is connected to the body through its fused rib cage which makes the shell permanently attached and not removable. The shell is made of bone covered by living vascularized tissue and covered with a layer of keratin. When in danger, the turtle is able to close the plastron by pulling the hinged sections closely against the carapace, effectively sealing the soft body in bone, hence forming a "box". The front and back of the plastron are connected by a flexible hinge. While the female's plastron is flat, it is concave in males so the male may fit over the back end of the female's carapace during mating. Įastern box turtles have many uniquely identifying characteristics as part of the box turtle group. Eastern box turtles range in size from 4.5 to 8 in (11 to 20 cm) long. Eastern box turtles have five toes on each front leg and normally four toes on each hind leg, although some individuals may possess three toes on each hind leg. Eastern box turtles feature a sharp, horned beak and stout limbs, and their feet are webbed only at the base. Furthermore, males normally possess red eyes ( irises), whereas females usually have brown eyes. In some isolated populations, males may have blue patches on their cheeks, throat, and front legs. This coloration closely mimics that of the winter leaf of the tulip poplar. Skin coloration, like that of the shell, is variable but is usually brown or black with some yellow, orange, red, or white spots or streaks. The carapace can be of variable coloration but is normally brownish or black and accompanied by a yellowish or orangish radiating pattern of lines, spots, or blotches. Their shell has a middorsal keel that smooths out with age. Description Įastern box turtles have a high, domelike carapace and a hinged plastron that allows total shell closure. ![]() In 2011, citing "a widespread persistent and ongoing gradual decline of Terrapene carolina that probably exceeds 32% over three generations", the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) downgraded its conservation status from near threatened to vulnerable. These characteristics, along with a propensity to get hit by cars and agricultural machinery, make all box turtle species particularly susceptible to anthropogenic, or human-induced, mortality. Box turtles are slow crawlers, extremely long-lived, and slow to mature and have relatively few offspring per year. While in the pond turtle family, Emydidae, and not a tortoise, the box turtle is largely terrestrial. The eastern box turtle is a subspecies of the common box turtle ( Terrapene carolina). T. c. carolina is native to the eastern part of the United States. The eastern box turtle ( Terrapene carolina carolina) is a subspecies within a group of hinge-shelled turtles normally called box turtles. Terrapene carolinina Schmidt, 1953 (ex errore).Terrapene caritana Schmidt, 1953 (ex errore).Terrapene cardlina Proctor, 1922 (ex errore).Cistudo carolinensis Gray, 1856 (ex errore).Testudo irregulata Daudin, 1831 (nomen nudum).Emys (Cistuda) carolinae Gray, 1831 (ex errore).Testudo caroliniana Daudin, 1801 ( ex errore).Testudo incarceratostriata Bonnaterre, 1789.
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