I straddled the sedentary reptile as I made my way through the countryside on the way home from the delta the other day. No, it wasn’t a cottonmouth or a timber rattler, for had it been, the outcome may have been different. In my rear-view mirror, I could tell the little fellow was startled as he/she tucked its head into the built-in safeguard in the form of a shell. Though I considered pulling over and moving the box turtle from the center line, my better judgement prevailed. I made the bend hoping/praying any following vehicles would offer the same gesture and not squash the terrapin as it did its best to cross the road safely.
North American box turtles are of the genus “Terrapene.” The genus name was coined by Blasius Merrem. Although box turtles are similar to tortoises, they are actually members of the American pond turtle family (Emydidae). Box turtles are largely characterized by its “domed” shaped shell which is hinged at the bottom. This hinge allows the animal, yes animal, to retract its head and legs and close its shell tightly to protect itself. However, the shell is not much protection from a set of mud grips, so pay attention to what may be in your lane. Currently, seven species of North American box turtles are classified within the genus and 12 taxa are distinguished.
The average lifespan of adult box turtles is around 50 years. Does this surprise you? An even more profound statistic shows that a significant portion of the population lives over 100 years. The age of a box turtle in the wild is difficult to accurately determine counting the rings on the scutes. Their growth is directly affected by the amount of food, quality of food, water, illness, and more. Once maturity is reached, the chance of death seems not to increase with age. The risk of death is greatest in younger turtles due to their size and weaker carapace and plastron. Turtles can defend themselves from predation by hiding, closing their shell, and biting. While the shell of a mature box turtle is seldom fractured, the critter can still be vulnerable to attacks and persistent gnawing or pecking from dogs, racoons, coyotes, and crows. Even cottonmouths have been known to kill box turtles.
The oldest recorded finds of fossilized box turtles were found in Nebraska and date over 15 million years before present. This would place this “individual” in the Miocene. This specimen was essentially in the modern form, hence the absence of strong morphology changes over time. It seems everything changes with time, but perhaps not regarding box turtles.
North American box turtles are classified as omnivores and will basically eat anything. Invertebrates such as earth worms, millipedes, and other insects make up the principal form of their diet but fruits and other vegetation can make up 30 to 90% of their diet. There are reports that indicate during the first five or six years of their life, they are primarily carnivorous, and adults are mostly herbivorous, however there are no scientific findings that quantifies this. I’m quite sure many of you have had pet box turtles and could add to this discussion regarding diet, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
Box turtles can be found in a wide variety of habitats which may vary from season to season. Woodlands are a habitat where turtles are generally found. Some species are found only in grasslands. Prior to hibernation, box turtles tend to move further into the woods where they dig a hole for overwintering. Ornate box turtles can dig chambers up to 50 centimeters while most box turtles dig a burrow of only about 10 centimeters, or five inches. The location for hibernation can be up to a half mile from summer habitat and is often in close proximity to that of the previous year. Keep in mind, these creatures aren’t wide travelers abroad. As with other reptiles, they settle in for a long winter’s nap until Mother Nature gently taps them on their shell telling them to wake up, spring has sprung.
Conservation status varies greatly between species. Terrapene Coahuila, as it is endemic only to Coahuila Mexico, is classified as endangered. The most widely distributed species, T. carolina, is classified as vulnerable and still other species are classified as “near threatened.” The Eastern box turtle, T. carolina, has been declining due to anthropogenic factors and diseases. Studies have shown infection from bacteria and in one instance in Illinois, over 50 box turtles were found dead from a bacterial infection. Ranavirus may have an impact on box turtles and continued investigations of box turtle diseases is important to conservation efforts.
As previously mentioned, I know you have all had box turtles for pets, even though it may have been for a brief period. I remember John Hartley screaming to the top of his lungs whenever we would cross paths with a box turtle. He would exclaim “SPEEEEEDEEE” whenever we saw one. John Clark, my cotton scout that worked with me for years, would jump out of the truck and grab the reptile and hand him to JH. There were times when we would have seven or eight of the hard-shelled “pets” in the truck at one time. We would take a marker and write a number on the bottom of their shell to keep up with them. It would astound you how well they could find a hiding place in a truck. At the end of the day, we would round them up and turn them loose only to start the collection process again the next morning. Though it is not recommended to keep box turtles as pets, I know we have all broken ranks regarding this. Turtles can be stressed by over-handling and more care is required than generally thought. Box turtles can be injured by cats and dogs so care must be taken to protect them. Some states prohibit collecting wild turtles while others require a permit to keep them. Though I am not aware of any local laws, I don’t see why a child can’t play with them and study them for a day or so and then return them to where they found them. It’s all about being a kid. Just like catching fireflies and toad frogs, they sure could do worse things, that’s for sure.
From time to time, I’ll come across the shell of a box turtle that has gone on to glory before us. Some of the shells have the ornate markings and colors still vivid as if they were still alive. Others are bleached white and have been in the woods for perhaps years. I have several of these in my study and some of the shells have been converted to turkey calls by wedging a piece of cedar under the lip of the shell. Using a wooden striker, or perhaps one of another material, one can emulate with remarkable authenticity, the calls of a wild turkey hen. I find it very satisfying, almost romantic, to call a wild gobbler to you with a part of nature. Though I don’t use this call a lot, I have had great success by “singing” to an old Tom with this novel call.
You may also find these shells through your wanderings. Have you picked them up for keepsakes as I have? I invite you to make your own call and even if you’re not a turkey hunter, I bet you would enjoy making one out of it. If not, I’ll take it off your hands. Of course, you can also leave it where you found it and let nature take its course and return the calcium from the shell back to Mother Earth. Be careful on those roads and do your best to avoid mashing these cute little buggers. Hopefully they’ll make it to the other side.
Until next time enjoy our woods and waters and remember, let’s leave it better than we found it.
