Eastern Box Turtle

Terrapene carolina

Can fully close its hinged shell into a sealed box. Lives 100+ years and remembers its home range for decades.

Population: No precise global count; IUCN (2011 assessment, still current) describes a widespread, persistent decline probably exceeding 30% over three generations (~50 years); a numeric estimate (<10,000) exists only for the T. c. yucatana subspecies
Habitat: Deciduous or mixed forests with moist, well-drained floors; also grasslands, pastures, marshy meadows, and open woodlands near streams and ponds
Fun fact: The eastern box turtle has a hinged plastron that lets it draw its head, legs, and tail fully inside and clamp the shell shut, sealing itself off almost completely from predators; individuals also show strong site fidelity, sometimes remaining within the same small home range for 30+ years.
Range: Eastern North America, from southern Maine and Michigan's Upper Peninsula south to northern Florida, west to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas
Diet: Opportunistic omnivore: earthworms, snails, slugs, grubs, beetles, caterpillars, occasional carrion, plus grasses, fruits, berries, and mushrooms; juveniles skew carnivorous, adults skew herbivorous
Size: 0.15 m
Lifespan: 100 years

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