The eastern box turtle's scientific name is Terrapene Carolina Carolina. This turtle is a subspecies of hinge-shelled turtles. Hinge-shelled turtles are more commonly known as box turtles. The eastern box turtle is usually found in the Eastern area of the United States. It is sometimes referred to as the “common box turtle.”
The eastern box turtle's shell is high and dome like. There is a hinged plastron (the part of the shell that is underneath the turtle's body) that allows the shell to close completely. The shell is found in variety of different colorations, but the most common colors are brown and black which feature orange or yellow patterns of blotches, spots and lines. The skin varies like the shell does, but is usually brown and features some white, purple or yellow streaks or spots. The shell color changes as the turtle ages and younger eastern box turtles are often more brightly colored than older eastern box turtles. The top and bottom of the shell are connected with a flexible hinge. If the turtle thinks it is in danger, it can “close” the bottom of the shell by pulling the hinges close to the top of the shell, which seals the turtle's body within its shell. The shell is connected to the turtle's body through its rib cage, which means the shell cannot be removed without killing the turtle. The shell is able to reform and regenerate in the event that it gets damaged or injured.
The eastern box turtle has a beak that is sharp and horny. It has short and round limbs and only the bases of its feet are webbed. Males usually have red eyes and females usually have brown eyes. The turtle stays small—males rarely exceed seven inches in length and females rarely exceed eight inches in length. When left in the wild, these little turtles can live to be more than eighty years old, but when kept in captivity, the lifespan can be cut by as much as, and often more than, half. The bottom part of the female turtle's shell is flat, but it is concave on a male which allows the male to fit over the back side of the female's top shell during mating.
Wild eastern box turtles are omnivores that feed on animals and vegetables. When kept in captivity the eastern box turtle will eat anything that smells or looks edible even if it will be harmful to the turtle. They will also eat poisonous fungi which causes them to be inedible to their predators.
Eastern box turtles are frequently kept as pets, but they are very hard to keep healthy in captivity as their bodies have many specific requirements. These turtles require warm temperatures, a high level of humidity, thermal gradients that are both horizontal and vertical, a habitat that they can burrow into and ultraviolet light to mimic sunlight. They also need a basking area and a large and easily accessible water area. They will need vitamin supplements to make sure they are getting the same nutrients they would get in the wild.
Pet Turtle Care Tip #1
Turtles are members of the Reptile family and they are some of the oldest living creatures on the planet. They have been around for more than two hundred million years. This makes them as old as the dinosaurs. There are hundreds of different kinds of turtles all over the planet.
Pet Turtle Care Tip #2
Sea turtles are the most popular of all of the turtles. These are also some of the largest creatures—some sea turtles can grow to more than six feet in length and weigh hundreds of pounds. Scientists think that sea turtles are actually land creatures that went back into the water and never came out. Over time their limbs evolved to make them stronger swimmers and to keep them in the water: their front appendages are actually flippers.
Pet Turtle Care Tip #3
All turtles, even sea turtles, are air breathing creatures. While some turtles can stay under the water for hours at a time, they all must surface at least once a day to stay alive. There is one turtle, the giant turtle that only has to surface once a day to take in air. There are some studies being done to see if some species of turtle might be able to draw oxygen from their cells much like some fish use their gills to breathe.
