Eastern box turtle classification
Terrapene carolina is a species of box turtle that comprises six subspecies. One of these subspecies is the Eastern box turtle, Terrapene carolina carolina.

Eastern box turtle range
The Eastern box turtle lives in the eastern parts of the United States. The northernmost point of its geographical range is southern Main while the Michigan Lower Peninsula makes up the north-western extreme. The Eastern box turtle range proceeds south down to southern Florida and westwards to the eastern parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

Eastern box turtle habitat
The Eastern box turtle is most commonly found in deciduous forests or mixed forests with both deciduous and coniferous vegetation. They are known to appreciate a medium moist forest floor with good drainage. You can however also encounter Eastern box turtles in open grasslands and pastures.

Eastern box turtle body
The Easter box turtle does not grow very large. The female can reach a size of 8 inches while the male stays smaller than 7 inches. The shell (carapace) of the Eastern box turtle is high and dome shaped and a hinged plastron allows total shell closure. From the shell you can see four chubby limbs and a horny beak protrude. The feet are only webbed at the base. Male Eastern box turtles normally have red irises while female turtles usually have brown irises.

Eastern box turtle coloration
The exact shell coloration varies a lot from turtle to turtle, but the foundation is usually black or of a brownish shade. The shell is decorated with a yellow to orange lines, blotches and dots that form a radiating pattern. The skin of the Eastern box turtle is typically brown with spots or streaks of a white, yellow or orange colour. The colour of the shell as well as of the limbs is affected by the age of the turtle and older turtles tend to be more dull and drab than younger Easter box turtles.

Eastern box turtle population
The Eastern box turtle is a popular pet and thousands of specimens are still collected from the wild each year to become house pets. This is a problem for the Eastern box turtle population, especially in certain regions of the United States. The Eastern box turtle is also captured and sold on Asian food markets. You can help the wild Easter box turtle population by refraining from eating dishes made from turtles. If you want to purchase an Eastern box turtle to keep as a pet, choose a captive bred specimen or adopt a turtle from its previous owner.

Eastern box turtle adoption
A lot of Eastern box turtles need to find new homes each year as their owners grow tired of them or have to stop taking care of them due to other reasons. By adopting such a pet turtle instead of purchasing a wild caught specimen, you will not only save the wild population, you will also prevent a pet turtle from being euthanized. Eastern box turtles can live for 30-35 years in captivity, so it is not hard to understand that changing living circumstances make it necessary for owners of Eastern box turtles to find new homes for their pets. In the wild, the Eastern box turtles can grow even older; up to 80 years or more.

Box Turtle Articles:

Box Turtle Care
Box Turtle Habitat