Eastern Box Turtle

Range/Habitat: Eastern Box turtles reside within the eastern US from eastern parts of Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma to the coast. They prefer forested areas with a moist forest floor. Most of these turtles will stay within the same 250 yards of habitat their whole lives.

Diet: Box turtles are omnivores and their diet consists of snails, insects, fruit, carrion, fungi, small animals, and eggs however adults are mostly herbivorous in their food choice.

Expected Lifespan: Box turtles are expected to live 100 years or longer.

Fun Facts:

• Chomper is the resident eastern box turtle at the nature center.
• Box turtles will lay about 5 eggs per clutch.
• Box turtles will brumate through the winter, burrowing up to two feet deep in dirt mud and other underground spots, sometimes they share their spot with other turtles.
• Male box turtles have red eyes while the females have brown/yellow eyes.
• It takes a female box turtle 5-10 years to reach sexual maturity, her offspring like most turtle species will face a high rate of predation, box turtles from the wild should stay in the wild not be brought indoors.
• The number one cause of death for box turtles is collision with cars, if you see a turtle in the road and it’s safe to leave your car, please help it cross.
• The IUCN lists the box turtle as a vulnerable species and they are in decline throughout their range.
• It is illegal to take box turtles out of the wild.