![]() Terrapene carolina (eastern box turtle) |
The eastern box turtle, Terrapene carolina, is well known to Midwestern nature lovers. It is the most commonly encountered away-from-water turtle in the lower Midwest, where it is often found in spring and early summer in upland forests. The boxy shell has steep sides, and it is extremely variable in its markings, although the basic concept of a dark brown shell with yellow spots and lines is almost always maintained. The undershell is hinged between the third and fourth plates, and is also dark brown, with a few yellow markings. The similar ornate box turtle, Terrapene ornata, is a Great Plains species whose range extends into Missouri and parts of Illinois; it has a more consistent pattern of yellow lines, especially on the undershell. Unfortunately, box turtle populations are declining in many areas—including the Midwest—as a result of human development, leading to loss of habitat, death on roads and highways, and so on. |
![]() midwestern range |
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References: Ballinger & Lynch 1983, Kricher & Morrison, 1988, Phillips, Brandon & Moll 1999, Ernst & Lovich 2009, Shupe 2019, IUCN 2020. Kuo, Michael & Melissa Kuo (May, 2020). Terrapene carolina (eastern box turtle). Retrieved from the midwestnaturalist.com website: www.midwestnaturalist.com/terrapene_carolina.html All text and images © , midwestnaturalist.com. |