|
Three-toed Box Turtle
|
- Order: Testudines (turtles and tortoises)
-
- Family: Emydidae (aquatic and subaquatic
turtles)
- Genus: Terrapene (box turtles)
|
| Also known as: Eastern
Box Turtle (general name for all subspecies of T. carolina) |
Scientific Name: Terrapene
carolina triunguis Agassiz, 1857 |
| Habitat: Wooded to
semi-open areas of the eastern states. |
Terrapene=from Native American word for
turtle, carolina="ornate," triunguis"="three
toes"
|
| Length: Carapace up to about
6 inches long. |
|
| Food: A variety of
items--box turtles are omnivorous. |
 |
| This stunning female box turtle
was found crossing the road on 22 August 2004 near Bull Shoals
Lake. Typical three-toed box turtles are nowhere near this
colorful; most have a uniformly tan carapace, occasionally flecked
with small, light dots. |
 |
| Here is a dorsal view of the same
turtle. I waited for about 10 minutes for the turtle to come
out of its shell, but it was too shy, so I eventually moved it off
the road to safety. |
 |
| This is an individual from Howard
County in the southwestern part of the state. You can see
there can be quite a bit of variation in color and pattern within
the subspecies. |
 |
|
|
| I also have a pet
three-toed box turtle. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
