BOX TURTLE

(Terrapene), any of several terrestrial turtles, family Emydidae, found in the United States and Mexico. Box turtles have a high, rounded upper shell (carapace) that grows to a maximum length of about 18 cm (7 inches). The lower shell (plastron) is hinged across the centre and can be drawn very tightly against the carapace to form a protective box that completely encloses the soft parts of the turtles. Box turtles are often kept as pets. They are omnivorous and feed on such items as earthworms, insects, mushrooms, and berries. They are often pointed by bird dogs, and hunting dogs in the southern United States pick up the turtles and carry them about. The common box turtle (T. carolina) is found in wooded areas from the Eastern United States to about the Mississippi Valley; its shell is usually brown or blackish with yellow or orange markings. The western box turtle (T. ornata) is essentially an inhabitant of open plains and sandy regions of the central United States. It has a flat-topped carapace ornamented with radiating yellow lines on a brown background.