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Box turtles can be injured by dogs and cats, so special care must be taken to protect them from household pets. Box turtles require an outdoor enclosure (although they can have indoor enclosures when necessary), consistent exposure to light and a varied diet. Without these, a turtle's growth can be stunted and its immune system weakened.
Box turtle is the common name for several species of turtle. It may refer to those of the genus Cuora or Pyxidea , which are the Asian box turtles, or more commonly to species of the genus Terrapene , the North American box turtles.
The common box turtle has a small to moderately sized head and a distinctive hooked upper jaw. [7] The majority of adult male common box turtles have red irises, while those of the female are yellowish-brown. Males also differ from females by possessing shorter, stockier and more curved claws on their hind feet, and longer and thicker tails. [7]
Gulf Coast box turtles have a domed shell which can grow to 8 inches (20 cm) in shell length. It is generally dark brown or black in color, with yellow striping or blotching, the amount of blotching or striping can vary greatly.
Eastern box turtles have a high, domelike carapace and a hinged plastron that allows total shell closure. Their shell has a middorsal keel that smooths out with age. [5] The carapace can be of variable coloration but is normally brownish or black and accompanied by a yellowish or orangish radiating pattern of lines, spots, or blotches.
Box turtles in North America are increasingly becoming a conservation concern because of habitat loss and because they are being harvested for the pet trade. [2] The destruction of prairies due to land renovations has led to the decline of the desert box turtles ( Terrapene ornata luteola ) across much of their geographical range.
As well as being cruel to the individual turtle in your care, they may pose threats as a non-native, potentially invasive species into a new habitat, or they may introduce unfamiliar diseases.
Box turtle in southeast Georgia. Like many other box turtle species, the Florida box turtle spends an extreme majority of its life (80-90%) buried in the underbrush or underground, and their activity varies significantly at different times of the year. During the dry, cool parts of the year (November - February) they enter a dormant stage and ...