Natural History Terrapene carolina

      On March 26th 2023 I encountered an Eastern Box turtle (Terrapene carolina) at the Francis Marion University Freshwater Ecology Center. This was a surprising find for me. Due to the warm weather, I assumed the turtles in this swamp area may be burrowed or seeking shade in other ways. Nonetheless, I am happy I had the opportunity to observe an Eastern Box turtle in its natural habitat! 

Box turtles are a type of terrestrial turtle that can fully close themselves into their shell using a hinge on the plastron. Unlike other turtles, the Eastern box turtle only has 4 toes on its hind limbs. I also think the coloration and pattern of the Eastern Box turtle is one of the prettiest seen in turtles. Not only do they have an ornate shell, but they also have patterned skin! Their carapace and plastron are a combination of the colors yellow, orange, olive, black and brown. They typically inhabit woodlands and marshes. 

Below is an image of the turtle found in the swamp. Due to the size and absence of keels on its carapace, about 5” long, I would classify it as an adult. On account of the features of the turtle, I determined that it was female. Male Eastern box turtles have long claws, a bright carapace, a concave plastron and red eyes. While female Eastern box turtle have short claws, a darker less distinct pattern on the carapace, a convex plastron and brown eyes. 

On the turtle pictured above, the carapace has a dark, indistinct pattern. The claws are short and it has brown eyes. Though I could not decide if the plastron was concave or convex, males are also typically larger than females in this species. This turtle was not very big. Taking these features into consideration, I determined this box turtle is female. 

 She was found in a forest swamp on an uphill slope that was covered in leaf litter. A few yards down the hill from her location was an area with mud and dips of water. There were more critters in the muddy area, hoping and slithering around, making calls occasionally. However, the turtle was up in the wood, a bit away from the noise. Furthermore, it was drier and there were more leaves on the ground in the area that the box turtle inhabited. It rained the night before, so that may be why she was out despite the warm weather.