Eastern box turtle
Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
Eastern box turtles are terrestrial (land-dwelling) turtles with high domed shells. These 4.5-6 inch turtles have a dark carapace (top shell) with yellow to orange patches that fade with age. Their plastron (bottom shell) is hinged, allowing the box turtle to completely close its shell.
Habitat: Box turtles live in a variety of habitats, but prefer open woodlands. They are common throughout the southeast, but are rare in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.
Cool facts:
- Eastern box turtles are long lived turtles and have been known to live up to 100 years in the wild!
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