Eastern Box Turtle

reptiles · armor · eastern-us

Hinged home shell. The eastern box turtle has a unique dome-shaped shell with a special hinge on the bottom that lets it close up completely, like a suitcase, to protect itself from predators and bad weather.

Ground dweller turtle. Unlike many turtles that live in water, eastern box turtles spend most of their time on land in forests, meadows, and grasslands, only needing water to drink and soak in.

Slow and steady. These turtles move slowly through their habitat looking for food like earthworms, insects, berries, and mushrooms, and they can live for more than 100 years in the wild.

Long journey home. Female eastern box turtles travel far from their homes to find sandy soil where they dig holes and lay their eggs, which hatch months later without any parent care.

Needs wild space. Eastern box turtles are in trouble because forests are being cleared and roads cut through their homes, so many people are working to protect the places where they live.