Eastern Box Turtle

Charlie Green has a passion for all turtle species, but he reserves special admiration for the Eastern Box Turtle—and no wonder. Box turtles are a fascinating, beautiful species, and an important part of our state’s natural history. In 1979, the Eastern box turtle was chosen as North Carolina’s state reptile. They are one of the most recognized turtle species in the southeast because they are terrestrial, which means they do not live in water but on the land. This brings them into contact with humans more frequently than water dwelling species, and the box turtle has had both positive and negative repercussions of this proximity.

The box turtle is well admired and appreciated by the public. They are often seen in yards, gardens, and wooded areas, and are welcome additions to the ecosystems. If suitable pockets of habitat exist, a box turtle can survive even in urban areas. Fields and forests alike are home to box turtles, and they prefer a moist environment. As omnivores, they eat just about anything, including poisonous mushrooms! Box turtles spend much of their time buried in the litter of the forest floor, and emerge to feed. In the winter, box turtles hibernate by burrowing, remaining protected from the frost until spring.

They are eye-catching reptiles, with bright yellow markings on their dark shells and on their legs. Their shells are unique, with hinges on the underside that allow the turtle to pull in and close up completely when threatened. Once ‘boxed’ in, their shells are almost impossible to pry open. When they close up, box turtles release the air in their lungs with a hissing sound. This serves not only to frighten whatever is trying to get at them, but also helps them fit better into their own shell. Some captive box turtles or turtles living in plentiful environments become too chubby to close their shells properly!

Identifying the species of a box turtle is not difficult, and if you meet one in the wild, you can quickly identify the gender as well. Male box turtles have bright red or orange eyes, while female box turtles have brown eyes. Young box turtles do not have the bright colors of the adults, and the eyes of baby box turtles will not develop the red or brown coloration for several years. Few people ever see baby box turtles, however, because they spend much of the first years of their life buried, keeping safe from predators until they have developed the hinge in their shell that allows them to ‘box’ closed. When a turtle first hatches, he is hardly larger than a half dollar coin, and can be easy prey to raccoons, birds of prey, foxes, and other predators if he doesn’t stay hidden.

2 month old Eastern Box Turtles. Their shells are marked so they can be distinguished from each other. They will be wintered by a rehabilitator, and then released in the spring.

Many people pick up box turtles and bring them home when they meet them, but if you happen upon a box turtle in the wild, reconsider the temptation to make him a pet! Box turtles can live up to forty years in the wild, and some have been believed to reach over 100 years of age! Besides their exceptional lifespan, box turtles should never be kept as pets because they are vanishing from the wild. Unfortunately, their adaptations to living close to humans has brought the box turtle some trouble as well. Many box turtles are killed as they cross highways. Dogs sometimes catch and chew on box turtles, which, despite the shell, can cause serious injury. Many are also hit by lawnmowers as they hide in the grass. Many rehabilitated box turtles require shell repair from road, dog, or lawnmower damage. Like all turtles, box turtles cannot survive without their shell, an extension of their spine. If the shell of a turtle is damaged, he becomes prone to disease and predators.

So if you meet the gentle box turtle, be sure to take a moment to appreciate him—his beautiful coloration, his fascinating adaptations, and his celebrity status as our state reptile. But leave him be—like all wild animals, he’ll be much happier left where he belongs! If you’d like to meet some box turtles up close, come visit the WNC Nature Center, where unreleasable box turtles are kept in two enclosures—one outdoor, around the turtle pond, and one indoor where you can see them all year round.

Also take a moment to visit the box turtle sculpture in the turtle pond. This artwork was dedicated to Charlie Green for his countless hours of devotion to the box turtle and all their reptilian relatives.