Eastern
Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina
Adopted 1979
This well-known turtle is most common in and near wooded areas. In most
cases, a box turtle does not try to bite when picked up. Instead, it draws
in its head, feet, and tail, and closes its hinged shell tightly. Box
turtles are mature and capable of mating at five years old. Females dig
holes in the ground with their hind legs, lay their eggs, and cover them
with soft dirt. Hatching turtles dig their way out of the burrow and are
able to live on their own. Fully grown at 20 years, box turtles may live
for 80 years or longer.
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